


Children of Eternity

by bloodreddahlia



Category: Loki Fandom, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Explicit Sexual Content, Extremely Dubious Consent, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Loki Does What He Wants, Loki Feels, Loki Has Issues, Not Canon Compliant, OFC with 'Tude, Rape/Non-con Elements, Smut, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-04
Updated: 2018-05-14
Packaged: 2018-10-14 19:33:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 11
Words: 30,267
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10543098
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bloodreddahlia/pseuds/bloodreddahlia
Summary: All is not well in the legendary realm of Asgard. The trees bearing the golden apples of Idunn have been afflicted by a mysterious disease, threatening the immortality of Asgard's elite. Unable to discover the cause and desperate for a solution, Odin despatches his younger son, the God of Mischief and Lies to the realm of Midgard to seek a cure through the sciences of man. Never one for subtlety, Loki takes a rather heavy handed approach, abducting Lena, a talented geneticist who may hold the key to the salvation of Asgard. But will she be inclined to assist the trickster God or will his imperious and infuriating ways alienate her. One thing is for sure, both Lena and Loki will be forever changed by their stormy encounter.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I originally created my account last year to follow and contribute to the Game of Thrones fandom. However, I discovered the crazy, wonderful world of Loki fanfics and have been itching to post my own story about this fascinating character. So, here is the first chapter. I hope that I do the fandom justice. If you have the time I would love feedback, so feel free to comment.

Lena rubbed at her bruised wrists and the back of her abused neck as she sat upright from a large and thoroughly unfamiliar plush bed with a loud groan. As she slowly regained her senses, she looked around the spacious interior of what she presumed had become her prison, albeit a luxuriously appointed one. The light and airy space was predominantly white with a huge vaulted ceiling; the floors were white marble, streaked with black and gold. It wasn’t until her feet contacted the uncompromisingly cold tiles that she realised with a start that her business clothing of black slacks, white short sleeved blouse and black pumps had been removed in favour of a soft silky white nightgown hand stitched with gold thread. While it was long sleeved and flowed down to her ankles, the off the shoulder neckline and the sheerness of the textile left her feeling exposed and vulnerable. As she smoothed her hand over the fabric covering her arms, she wondered briefly what the material was composed of. It was softer than anything she’d ever felt before and of an incredibly fine weave. Her ruminations over her new attire were rudely interrupted by a sudden realisation that she did not appear to be wearing anything underneath and that whoever had undressed her had seen her entirely naked. She prayed to God that it was not her abductor.

 

She made her way on decidedly wobbly legs towards a gilded oval shaped free standing mirror in one corner of the room, hardly recognising her own reflection. Her long blonde hair was no longer pulled into a tight constricting school-marmish bun but flowed freely in soft luxurious waves over her shoulders. Her silver rimmed spectacles had disappeared to fully reveal her cornflower blue eyes. To her astonishment the vision in her right eye, usually diminished by congenital astigmatism, was now perfectly clear and focussed. How could this possibly be? She had worn glasses as soon as she was old enough to do so. Such an affliction did not just disappear. As she moved closer to the mirror she gasped, the fingers of one hand smoothing over her skin just above her left eyebrow. A small but noticeable scar, the legacy of a childhood playground accident, had vanished. Some fine lines that had begun to appear around her eyes had also disappeared; her complexion was dewy without a blemish to be seen. Her lips parted in wonder as her hands moved down over her breasts, noticing how perky they felt under the silky fabric of her nightgown. Sliding her hands further down revealed a tighter, tauter abdomen and flat tummy. It began to dawn on Lena that her body was no longer that of a woman in her early forties but that of a much younger woman. To be truthful, her appearance was a more refined and perfected version of her younger self.

 

“If only they were my hands gliding all over that delectable body,” a deep and sonorous voice purred from somewhere behind her.  
She startled and whipped around to face the owner of the voice who she instantly recognised as her kidnapper. He was dressed in a soft deep green long sleeved tunic and very fitted black leather pants, a far cry from the complicated and imposing black, green and gold leather, fabric and metal armour she had last seen him in. His impossibly tall and lithe but strong frame leaned casually against the far wall, his arms crossed, his thin lipped expression half way between a grin and a leer. His long shiny shoulder length onyx hair framed a pale angular face with high sharp cheekbones; astonishingly bright deep emerald eyes regarded her with a mixture of lust and amusement at her now flustered and frankly petrified state. She took a deep shaky breath and drew herself to her full height, determined to show no weakness in front of this disconcertingly beautiful but at the same time terrifying apparition. She stuck out her chin in defiance but couldn’t quite keep the tremble out of her knees as her eyes met his. Her anger flared as his lips quirked up in an infuriating smirk.  
“Who the fuck are you? Why am I here and what have you done to me?” she asked between gritted teeth. To her dismay she had been unable to disguise the tremble in her voice.  
“Now, now, language my Pet. And so many questions,” he replied with a chuckle.  
Lena felt her fear diminishing to be replaced by a white hot anger at his wildly inappropriate and condescending endearment.

 

“I am NOT your Pet, you arsehole. I demand to know right now –”  
As infuriated as she was the words caught in her throat when she noticed a flash of anger in the man’s eyes and a feral snarl curling his lip. She swallowed thickly when his frame straightened revealing just how tall he was, his long limbed body moving steadily towards her with an almost feline grace. Suddenly panicked, she took a couple of hasty steps backwards, colliding solidly with the wall behind her.  
“Stay away from me,” she stammered, her heart thumping wildly in her chest but the man continued to close the gap between them, his eyes narrowed, his lips pressed together in a fine line. Her breathing sped up, her lips parting as he came to a standstill in front of her, his large but slender, long fingered hands coming to rest on either side of her head, caging her in. Lena was of average height for a woman but he towered above her so that when she looked straight ahead her eyes were level with his clavicle. She could feel the warmth emanating from his body and the wisp of his breath as he leaned in towards her ear and whispered.  
“I will make allowances for your little outburst and your lack of respect this time, little one. But do not make a habit of it. You WILL show me due deference as befits my position as a God and a Prince of Asgard.”

 

Lena shivered involuntarily as he withdrew his face but he kept his hands right where they were. She slowly raised her eyes to his searchingly, fully convinced that the man was deranged. What other explanation could there possibly be for his apparent delusion that he was a God and a Prince. A Prince of Asgard was it? For some reason the name rang a vague bell but try as she may, she could not recall where she had heard it before. Her fear returned with a rush as she realised that she was trapped and completely at the mercy of an unhinged, mentally unstable individual. She pushed down her terror and the last vestiges of her anger for the sake of self-preservation and schooled her features into a picture of submission and contrition. If she wanted to survive this ordeal she would have to play along with his delusions just long enough for an opportunity for escape to present itself.  
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to insult you. It’s just that I don’t know what’s going on. Please forgive me,” she pleaded, keeping her voice soft and non-confrontational.  
“Better, Pet,” he smirked. “See how much easier it is when you submit to me?”  
Lena felt a flare of frustration and bit at her bottom lip to prevent herself from revealing her anger.  
“Ah, ah,” he said as he shook his head disapprovingly at her. “As compliant as your words and your tone were I still see defiance in your eyes. That simply will not do. You will learn your place, which is kneeling at my feet, kneeling at the feet of your God.”

 

Despite being fully cognisant of the danger of her situation his infuriating attitude got the better of her as she raised her hand to slap the smirk off his face.  
“Never,” she grated out as her hand swung towards his right cheek. With preternatural speed the man’s hand shot out and grabbed her wrist in a painful vice like grip before she could make contact. She cried out as his fingers dug into her already bruised flesh, his eyes boring into hers with a barely contained fury.  
“You dare to strike me, you Midgardian whore?” he snarled, revealing his sharp pearly white canines.  
She knew what a whore was, obviously, but what the hell was a ‘Midgardian’ whore, she wondered briefly before fear overcame her momentary curiosity.  
“I have been patient with you and have treated you better than your lowly status deserves but I see that my indulgence was misguided. You will kneel to me. If you do not choose to do so willingly then you will not like the alternative.”  
“Go to hell,” she yelled as she spat straight into his face.

 

The man straightened, his eyes wide in shock as he wiped the spittle from the apple of his cheek with the sleeve of his tunic. He chuckled darkly which discomfited her much more than if he had just screamed in her face. His eyes glared savagely at her as he grabbed her other wrist bringing her body flush against his. She screamed and attempted to pull away but his incredible strength overpowered her easily, preventing her from escaping his grasp. His hands were curled around her wrists and pressed against her breasts that heaved with her laboured breathing.  
Lena paled as she noticed his eyes travelling down from her face to rest on the swell of her breasts and the ghost of her nipples that showed through the semi sheer fabric of her gown.  
“I should have you flogged completely naked in the public square for your impudence. Many have died horrible deaths for less than what you have just done,” he purred, as he took both of her aching wrists in one large hand, his other hand ghosting over the nipple of one breast. She gasped as she felt a jolt of pleasure arc through her body at the intimate contact. Confused and dismayed at this unexpected reaction in the midst of her terror, she resumed her struggles against him which only resulted in him bringing his strong arm around her and pulling her even closer, his now hardened member pushing against her stomach. He grinned widely at the small whine that escaped her, despite her best efforts to prevent it. A tingling heat settled at the apex of her thighs and she felt a growing moistness there, as she responded physically to his touch. No, she didn’t want this. She didn’t want him, as much as her body might have told her otherwise. 

 

“Please, please don’t hurt me,” she sobbed, now completely losing her composure.  
“Ah but little one. I cannot simply overlook this assault on my person. There will have to be punishment. But I can be a merciful God. Instead of public humiliation and excruciating pain I could perhaps throw you to my guards for their pleasure. What say you?” he smirked.  
Lena’s eyes widened and her knees began to shake so violently that she could barely stand upright.  
“No, no, no!” she cried desperately. “Please don’t. I’m sorry. I’ll be good. I’ll do anything you want.”  
“You are so beautiful when you beg, my Pet, and I am sorely tempted to overlook your little outburst but it simply will not do. You are indeed fortunate that I am not disposed towards sharing your delicious body with any other man for I have decided that I will administer your punishment personally,” he explained with a leer.  
To her surprise, he released her hands and sauntered casually over to the bed, sitting on the edge, his legs splayed wide. For the first time she was able to discern his large erection pushing against the tight fabric of his pants and felt a confusing mixture of fear and arousal at the impressive sight.  
“Come,” he beckoned, his arms outstretched, a smug smile on his handsome face as he registered the line of her gaze.  
Lena shook her head and pressed herself back against the wall.  
“I said, come here. Do not make me repeat myself,” he ordered sternly, his smile faltering.  
“No, please. You don’t have to do this. Just let me go. I won’t tell anyone. I promise,” she pleaded, tears streaming down her face.  
“Your begging was fun in the beginning but now I find myself growing impatient. It is not too late for me to call my guards. Perhaps it would be entertaining to watch them take their turns with you after all. All ten of them,” he pondered.  
“No, not that. Please,” she sobbed, as she made her way on shaking legs to stand in front of him.

 

His eyes travelled greedily up and down her form as her whole frame quaked with terror.  
“Ssssh, little one. It will be over soon. Come, lie down on your stomach,” he ordered, gesturing at his lap.  
Confused, Lena froze on the spot, staring at him in perplexity. She squeaked when his arm shot out impatiently, grabbing her by the arms and forcing her down across his lap. A hot flush assaulted her cheeks when she felt the fabric of her gown being pushed up her legs until her bare bottom was exposed to him. Hot tears of shame streamed down her face as his hands massaged and stroked her flesh and he hummed appreciatively at the sight before him.  
“So exquisite,” he rasped. “But how perfect your skin will look with my mark upon it,” he added, before raising his arm and smacking her soundly on one cheek. Lena squealed with pain and indignation, squirming and struggling to escape his clutches but the man quieted her instantly when his free hand coiled around her slender neck, exerting firm pressure: enough to serve as a silent warning but not enough to constrict her airway.  
“Be still. I have only just begun. You will take your punishment like a good little girl.”  
His hand lifted again and thwacked on her other fleshy globe, the sound echoing obscenely around the otherwise quiet room. She bit her lip, stifling a sob at the searing sting that his hand left on her skin. His fingers stroked and smoothed over the hot reddening cheeks. She could feel his cock twitching against her ribcage as he continued to administer resounding slaps to each buttock cheek in turn; she bit at her lip until she tasted iron, swallowing every cry. To her complete chagrin she felt a hot coil of pleasure building in her belly as he ran his hands soothingly over the curve of her bottom and down between her thighs to slide his forefinger over her now slickened folds.

 

“No, stop,” she sobbed. “Please, no more.”  
“I do not believe you wish me to stop. You are so wet for me, my little whore.”  
Lena watched in fascinated horror as the man held his finger in front of her face and then moved it to his mouth, sucking her juices from it lasciviously.  
“You’re sick and disgusting,” she hissed as she wriggled in his steely grip.  
“And yet, you are enjoying this, are you not? Your mouth may lie to me but your body does not,” he commented with a smirk.  
Unfortunately it was all too true. She felt a hot blush assail her face as she averted her gaze from his. His hand caressed slowly up the skin of her inner thigh. Her breathing quickened as he massaged her outer lips with two fingers, spreading her own moisture over her swollen flesh but never touching her sensitive clit. Disturbingly she felt herself rocking her hips, pushing her entrance against his fingers, as a desperation to assuage the ache in her core overcame her fear of his assault. What the hell was she doing? Was she going mad? She felt as though she was melting under his expert touch as he chuckled at her wanton display. However he never penetrated her with his fingers and circled her clit, in an excruciating avoidance of direct contact. She whined but that only made him double his efforts with a laugh, bringing her to the very brink without pushing her over the edge to completion. 

“Such a naughty little slut,” he cooed as he continued to push his fingers along the length of her slit. Lena whimpered pathetically when his hand eventually left her, reducing her to a sobbing, needy mess. She cried out as he pushed her from his lap to land at his feet with a painful thud.  
“Naughty sluts do not get to come,” he declared, his lips curled in a vicious sneer. “Now kneel,” he commanded.  
Lena rubbed the sleeve of her gown across her eyes and sniffled as she moved onto her knees in front of him, his now fully erect cock pushing against the fabric at the crotch of his pants right in front of her face. He grabbed a handful of her hair and yanked her head back to force her eyes to his.  
“I should make you worship me now,” he said as he eyed his crotch pointedly.  
Tears trickled down her cheeks as she contemplated his large cock pushing its way down her throat. She held her breath waiting for his next move but was relieved when his hand loosened from her tresses and he pushed her away roughly. She yelped when she fell on to her battered buttocks, scooting herself backwards to create a distance between them while she still had the opportunity.  
“But I wish for you to worship me of your own free will. In time you will, my sweet little whore. You will beg for me to take you.”

 

Despite the pain and humiliation from her beating and her fear that he might at any time decide to renew his assault, she struggled against an overwhelming urge to scream at him to go fuck himself.  
“Careful, pet,” he warned. “Your face betrays your thoughts. I would hate to have to punish you further.”  
He rose from the bed and strode towards her as she stood and backed up towards the wall once more. He came to a stop a pace from her and stared intently into her eyes. She could have sworn that his gaze softened then as his fingers reached towards her face. She whimpered and tried to flinch away from him, unsure of his intentions.  
“Do not fear, little one. I will not hurt you,” he said soothingly as his forefinger traced across her bloodied lower lip where her own teeth had pierced the skin. A strange tingling sensation flowed across her lip as he brushed across her with cold feather light touches. After some time she realised that the sting from the cut had disappeared. He encircled her bruised wrists and murmured something incomprehensible under his breath. When he let go, she explored the skin with her own fingers to find no evident contusions. She froze as he leaned down and slipped his hands under her nightgown, smoothing over the side of her thighs and her hips to cup her hot and throbbing bottom. Her hands shot to his chest in a vain attempt to push him away but he only pulled her closer, rubbing gently across the angry red marks he had left on her cheeks. The same tingling coldness gradually soothed the pain until it disappeared altogether. He gave her yielding flesh one final indulgent squeeze, smirked and released her. Lena exhaled a breath that she hadn’t realised she had been holding before.  
“Thank you,” she whispered eventually, her eyes wide with wonder.  
He nodded almost imperceptibly before retreating towards the side of the bed.

 

The man turned his back on her and waved his hand in the air. To her astonishment a deep green velvet gown along with undergarments appeared on the bed. She stared incredulously at the garment, fear forgotten as she slowly walked up behind him. He turned to face her, a smug expression writ large on his face.  
“How did you? Who are you? What are you? What do you want from me?”  
He grinned, his eyes narrowing in mischief.  
“Again with all of the questions, Pet? Very well. I healed you with Seidr– you Midgardians refer to it rather clumsily as magic. I am Prince Loki, son of Odin the Allfather, second in line to the throne of Asgard.”  
“What! Wait? Odin? Loki? As in the old Norse Gods?”  
“People of your realm spoke of us in tales around their fires in the olden times; our names are legend.”  
Lena shook her head and laughed mirthlessly.  
“What do you find so amusing?” he asked with a warning tone in his voice that sobered her immediately. Best to humour the crazy man.  
“Nothing. I -”  
“You cannot deny the evidence before your own eyes. I conjured clothing for you; I healed you and did more besides while you slept,” he pointed out petulantly.  
“What exactly DID you do to me?” she rasped out. “Why am I here?”  
All in good time. Now be a good Pet. Bathe and don the gown I have provided for you. We will dine in my personal quarters in a few hours. I will send a handmaiden to assist you and a guard will collect you. Do not make him wait.”  
Lena opened her mouth to give him a piece of her mind but in the blink of an eye he had disappeared.  
“Lena, my name’s Lena! Not Pet, not slut, not Midgardian whore. Lena!” she yelled into the empty air in frustration as she grabbed the clothing from the bed and stalked through a doorway to the bathing chamber, muttering under her breath. Before the door closed behind her she heard his infuriating chuckle echoing through the silence of the bed chamber.


	2. Chapter 2

“Our increased knowledge and powerful gene sequence-based diagnostics provide plant breeders with more precise selection objectives and assays to operate in rationally planned crop improvement programmes. We can expect yield potential to increase and harvested product quality portfolios to better fit an increasing diversity of market requirements. The new genetics will connect agriculture to sectors beyond the food, feed and fibre industries; agri-business will contribute to public health and will provide high-value products to the pharmaceutical industry as well as to industries previously based on petroleum feedstocks and chemical modification processes.”*

 

The crowd in the auditorium applauded Professor Lena Ericsson, the keynote speaker at the Annual International Agricultural Science Convention at the Jacob Javits Centre in Manhattan as she moved from the podium. She felt a mixture of exhilaration at receiving the plaudits of her peers as well as an overwhelming relief that her presentation had been delivered and that she could now sit back for the last day of proceedings and enjoy the contributions of other respected scientists in her field of endeavour. While she was confident in her expertise, public speaking had never been her forte. She was much more comfortable sitting in her lab coat at AgriBio in Melbourne, Australia extracting and cloning the genes of orchard fruit and various vegetable species than she was talking about it in front of hundreds of onlookers and being subjected to their close scrutiny. Today had been no different, other than one notable exception: the pale man in the perfectly tailored black suit and deep green tie whose peridot eyes had studied her with an intensity that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. 

She had been about half way through her presentation when she had stopped to scan the audience briefly, giving herself a moment to collect her thoughts. Adjusting her glasses with a quick flick of one forefinger, her eyes travelled over the assembled crowd, coming to rest on a spot five rows back, just left of centre. Even in his seated position, Lena could discern that the man in question was tall, very tall. The man sitting next to him, with whom she was vaguely acquainted, was just under six foot tall and yet his head only sat level with the stranger’s shoulder. His physique was lean in his closely fitted business attire which stood out as being decidedly male couture compared with the more modest suits of the other attendees. His face was angular with razor sharp cheekbones, his skin perfect alabaster, his raven black hair slicked back from his high forehead and flicking out at the shoulders. He sat with his chin tucked slightly towards his chest, his narrowed and glittering eyes glaring intently at her. The thin lips were pressed tight in a straight line that betrayed no emotion, his long slender fingers clasping his slightly pointy chin as he leant further forward in his seat. Lena had never been an overly lustful woman but she was instantly struck by how beautiful the man was, albeit in a rather dangerous and predatory way, like a large black panther. So much like a wild beast was he that she half expected him to growl at her. In the very moment that their eyes met she felt everything and everybody melt away until only he and she were left in the auditorium. 

 

Thoroughly discomfited and confused by her reaction, Lena took a deep breath and continued with her presentation, deliberately moving her attention to a different section of the room. But like a magnet, her eyes were inexorably drawn back to the stranger who continued to fix her with his steely stare. It wasn’t the decorous attention of a dedicated peer or the rapt concentration of an undergraduate student. Both of those she had become accustomed to in close to twenty years in the profession. This was something else altogether and she wasn’t sure if she relished it or feared it with every fibre of her being. As she continued to study him, his lips curled into a smug smirk, the skin around his incredible sea green eyes crinkling as he leant even further forward in his chair. A frisson of fear sneaked up her spine but confusingly she also felt a tingling and heat at the apex of her thighs as he continued his close and quite frankly hungry scrutiny of her. Friends and colleagues had always reminded her of the public speaking aid of imagining your audience in their underwear as a way of loosening up and settling the nerves. Disconcertingly she felt as though the man in the crowd was reflecting that straight back at her, her clothes providing no barrier to his penetrating glare. 

 

The whole situation was preposterous. She was a professional, decidedly average looking woman in her forties, presenting a keynote speech at one of the most important conventions in the world in her field and here she was allowing herself to be flustered like some naïve, virginal schoolgirl, believing that some incredible younger other-worldly man was attracted to her. What the hell was she thinking? She drew herself to her full height, which admittedly wasn’t substantial, even with her high heeled pumps, but the simple action had the effect of dispersing the glamour that the man had weaved around her. Upon finishing her paper, she departed the stage and took her seat to the left of the stage with the other speakers for the afternoon session feeling quite uplifted and confident although she steadfastly avoided looking in the mystery man’s direction. Towards the end of the session she dared a quick glimpse and it was with a strange mixture of disappointment and relief that she noticed the man had vacated his seat. 

Later that night, the convention attendees were to gather for the farewell dinner celebration. Lena was relieved that one of her colleagues, Sarscha was there to accompany her. If there was one thing she hated more than public speaking it was turning up to social events on her own. If she were completely honest, she wasn’t entirely comfortable with any situation involving large numbers of people with whom she was unacquainted. She usually found herself esconced in an isolated corner of the function space with a large drink trying to look as inconspicuous as possible, while making awkward conversation with anyone foolish enough to approach her. Thankfully tonight that wouldn’t be necessary. Lena opted to remain clothed in her business attire of white blouse, black slacks and high heeled pumps, but to freshen up a little. She pulled her blonde locks into her characteristic tight bun, swiped her lips with a rose coloured gloss and applied mascara to her lashes. This was a rare concession to vanity as she seldom wore any makeup at all. She did wish that she could forego her eyeglasses but unfortunately that would render her almost sightless in one eye. She figured she had enough going against her as it was without adding klutziness from near blindness into the mix. Lena grabbed her clutch before making her way towards the lifts that would take her from her room to the formal functions area. As the doors to the lift parted she noticed that it was jam packed with conference attendees making their way downstairs to the dinner. 

 

Being naturally shy she kept her eyes slightly downcast but still could not help but notice the shape of a rather tall and lanky figure leaning against the back corner of the lift. As she lifted her gaze, her blue eyes met green, her lips parting slightly in surprise. She felt her heart thudding loudly in her chest as her breathing quickened. The pale man nodded almost imperceptibly at her, his lips curling up slightly in a smirk. Lena entered the lift and turned her back to him but she felt as though his eyes were burning holes into her back. The trip six floors down seemed to take an eternity. When the lift finally dinged heralding their arrival at their destination, the doors parted and Lena shot out of there like her life depended on it, not risking a look behind her to check on the proximity of the strange man. 

 

To her immense relief she spied Sarscha almost immediately, standing in one corner of the front room of the functions centre where the canapes and cocktails were being served. She made a beeline for the scarlet bodycon dress clad figure of the younger woman, never being so glad to see another human being in her life. She could still feel her skin crawling from her encounter with Mr Tall, Dark and Creepy, as she had now dubbed him in her mind.  
“Hey Prof, great presentation,” Sarscha commented as she swooped on a silver tray carried by a penguin suited waiter holding flutes of champagne.  
“Here you go,” she said, offering Lena a glass.  
“Thanks,” Lena smiled, gladly accepting the drink.  
“To you, and your planet sized brain. The woman almost singlehandedly responsible for the world’s understanding of the Brassica olerace pangenome.”  
While Lena appreciated Sarscha’s enthusiasm, the woman was prone to exaggeration and hyperbole so she huffed and lifted her glass in salute before taking a sip of her very tasty, obviously expensive bubbles before replying.  
“You know full well that I was only a consultant on that research and that the team at the University of Western Australia and many other collaborators contributed much more to the project than I did. I’m hardly –“  
“Oh poop,” Sarscha interrupted. “You never give yourself enough credit. There’s a reason that you’re the keynote speaker at this event. Speaking of which, I guess you have to mingle, yeah?”  
Lena groaned at the prospect and gripped the stem of her champagne flute a little tighter as she felt her characteristic social anxiety come to the fore.

 

As Lena miserably contemplated her fate, Sarscha stared wide-eyed at a spot in the opposite corner of the room over her shoulder.  
“What’s wrong? Is it Fields? Dammit. I’ve been avoiding him this whole time,” Lena grouched.  
Dr Henry Fields was a senior research assistant who had been competing four years ago for the same position at AgriBio as herself. When she pipped him for the job, Fields had been angry and resentful and had made it his personal mission in life to try and undermine her at every turn. Luckily her unimpeachable reputation, her superior results and incredible work ethic meant that he had become little more than a pesky mosquito buzzing in her ear at night. All of his protestations had gathered little traction with the University board, his constant complaints falling on deaf ears. Still, she loathed him and the last thing she wanted was a passive assertive confrontation with the little toad of a man on a night that should be about celebrating the collective achievement of dedicated research scientists.  
“Umm. No. There’s this guy. He’s staring at you like you’re the main course tonight.”  
“What?” Lena scoffed. “Don’t be so ridiculous.”  
“I’m serious Prof. He’s looking right over here. And Jesus. He’s hot as hell.”  
Lena swallowed thickly having a very bad feeling about the identity of the man in question.  
“Tall, white skin, black hair, green eyes?” she muttered apprehensively.  
“Yeah, how did you know?” Sarscha asked, her head tilted quizzically.  
“Lucky guess.”  
“Shit!” Sarscha exclaimed, her lips parting. “He’s walking over here. Fuck, he’s gorgeous.”  
“Sarscha quit it,” Lena admonished, feeling her heart rate accelerate, an unwelcome flush assailing her cheeks and upper chest. Suddenly the room seemed way too hot.

 

“Professor Ericsson,” a loud voice boomed from some metres away, a group of six men converging upon them, led by the head researcher of a genome project based in Finland by the name of Dr Valtainen.  
Both Sarscha and Lena looked in the direction that Tall, Dark and Creepy would have been approaching them from but mysteriously the man had disappeared. They looked at each other briefly in shock before turning to the delegation of scientists, engaging them in amicable discussion about the progress of their respective work. The rest of the evening proceeded in the same fashion, Lena feeling a little like a rock star in this very esoteric world for one short night. She decided to put aside her usual fears and insecurities and enjoy the fruits of her very hard and demanding labour. As a result she probably overindulged on the expensive champagne and the red wine accompanying dinner more than she otherwise would. She wasn’t a big or frequent drinker either so it probably hit her a little harder than normal. As she sat at the table polishing off her dessert and glass of port she scanned the room searching for the tall pale man but he was nowhere to be seen. Had it not been for Sarscha as independent witness she would have sworn that he was a figment of her very over heated imagination.

 

“Hey Sarscha. I feel wiped,” Lena stated as she upended the last of the port. “Time for this little black duck to call it a night,” she giggled.  
Sarscha grinned and clapped Lena good naturedly on the shoulder.  
“Yeah. You really enjoyed yourself tonight, didn’t you?”  
“Yeah, I guess. It wasn’t too bad,” she slurred in reply.  
“Do you want me to walk back with you or will you be okay?  
“Nah, ‘s okay.”  
“Alright then. Goodnight Prof. Don’t forget the shuttle bus leaves for the airport at 9am.”  
“Sure, okey dokey,” Lena replied as she stood from her chair and wove rather unsteadily on her heels through to the lift lobby.

 

Slapping carelessly at the lift buttons, Lena swayed on her feet as she waited for the lift to appear on her floor, nearly nose planting the doors in her haste to enter once it did. Leaning heavily against the back wall she started as a tall black form strode on impossibly long legs towards her, just managing to insinuate his lithe body inside before the doors closed. Fear penetrated the comfortable haze of her alcoholic buzz as she recognised the man, turning to sheer terror when his business attire morphed into an imposing conglomeration of leather, fabric and metal plating and buckles. His face took on a feral cast, his mouth shifting to a cruel leer, his eyes filled with lust and a fierce determination. She screamed and pressed herself further into the wall behind her, shaking her head and breathing rapidly. What she had seen just was not possible. It defied the laws of physics. Her knees began to tremble so violently she thought she would collapse to the floor. 

 

He reached towards her and grabbed her wrists in one of his very large hands in a vice like grip. The strength of his grasp was incredible, like iron shackles. He slammed her wrists so hard into the wall above her head that she thought he had fractured them. She cried out at the intense pain and froze when his other hand wrapped around her throat, rendering her completely defenseless.  
“Please,” she sobbed out in abject terror.  
The man moved his body closer until his chest pressed against her breasts. She could feel his cock digging into her tummy as he ground against her, the grip on her neck tightening. Lena began to panic as she struggled to draw breath, a fuzzy white static affecting her vision.  
“Please what, little one?” the man growled in her ear. Despite her fear, the seductiveness of his deep sonorous voice was not lost on her as she gasped and struggled in his grasp.  
“Please don’t kill me,” she pleaded breathlessly.  
“I wouldn’t dream of it, my sweet. You are much too important to me for that. I have plans for you. Such plans,” he grinned lasciviously.  
The green spark of his eyes and the snow white gleam of his teeth was the last thing she remembered before her world went dark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * Excerpt from:  
> "Genetic contributions to agricultural sustainability"  
> Elizabeth S Dennis, Jeffrey Ellis, Allan Green, Danny Llewellyn, Matthew Morell, Linda Tabe, and W.J Peacock*  
> 2007
> 
> I'm really happy with the response so far to this fic. Thanks for reading.


	3. Chapter 3

Lowering herself into the warm water of the deep circular marble tub large enough to hold half a dozen bathers, Lena sighed loudly and stretched her limbs, trying to dispel the tension in her muscles. Just as she felt herself relaxing into the soothing water, she heard the door opening and squealed, crossing her arms over her breasts protectively and lowering herself even further under the surface, believing that the man who called himself ‘Loki’ had re-appeared.  
“Pardon my lady,” a beautiful young dark haired woman said in a worried tone. “I did not mean to startle you. Prince Loki has sent me to assist with your preparations.”  
Holy Hell. There was a support cast to this bizarre stage show after all. 

 

At the time of being threatened with rape by her abductor’s guards she had known intellectually that it was an empty threat because she thought that he was a delusional twat and that no such guards in fact existed. However her terror of gang rape had momentarily overcome her powers of reasoning and she had panicked at the time. Afterwards she had been ashamed and angry that she had allowed him to get the upper hand on her mentally. She shivered now that she contemplated that like the handmaid in front of her, the guards could be real and that she had in fact had a very lucky escape indeed.  
“Don’t you people know how to knock?” she bit back angrily but instantly regretted it when she noticed the fear in the woman’s eyes and her deferential attitude.  
“I am sorry Lady. I did not mean to - ”  
Lena breathed in a steadying breath before replying as calmly as she could.  
“No, it’s okay. You’re only doing your job. It’s just that I’m not used to the lack of privacy.”  
“Do you wish me to leave, my Lady? It is just that Prince Loki will be very displeased….” she trailed off, biting her lip nervously.  
Lena could just imagine what it would be like dealing with this petulant man if he got his dander up, which she concluded was probably a frequent occurrence so she donned her friendliest demeanour to put the girl at ease.  
“Well,” she replied sardonically, “we cannot upset His Exaltedness now, can we? Come on then.”

 

The woman relaxed and smiled in gratitude before placing some towels down on a bench nearby and moving to a shelf that lined one wall of the bathroom filled with glass bottles containing liquids of different colours and viscosity.  
“These fragrant oils are Prince Loki’s personal concoctions. The Linden Flower, Meadowsweet and Rosemary is my favourite,” she suggested, removing the stopper from a bottle of yellowish green liquid and holding it under Lena’s nose.  
“Mmmm,” she hummed. “He might be a psychotic freak but he knows his stuff,” she remarked as she sniffed at the heady fragrance.  
The young girl gasped in shock and shushed her frantically.  
“My Lady! Do not say such. If his Lordship hears you -”  
“How would he hear me? We’re the only ones here.”  
It briefly occurred to her that the woman could be a trap, sent to test her attitude to the Prince but she was a pretty good judge of character and just couldn’t see her capable of such subterfuge.  
“He is very powerful. He can see and hear things that others cannot, like his mother, Queen Frigga. The Seidr is very strong in them.”  
Great, mother and son Jedi Masters. Just what I need, she scoffed internally. Lena accepted the bottle from the handmaiden’s fingers, pouring a liberal amount into the water. Almost instantly she felt her muscles loosen and her skin felt less tight as her anxiety melted away. It occurred to her that there had to be something else in this oil other than the ingredients the girl had listed; the effect was too profound and instantaneous. That should have concerned her more but she was too busy relishing the feeling of all-encompassing comfort the bath gave her to give it too much thought. She made a mental note to steal the bottle to take with her when she finally managed to escape this loony bin.

 

“What’s your name?” Lena asked eventually.  
“Asta, my Lady,” she replied.  
“Oh for Christ’s sake. Stop calling me that. My name is Lena.”  
Asta stared at her uncertainly and then nodded with a small smile before handing her a sponge.  
“I will leave you now my Lady, I mean Lena. I will wait for you in the bed chamber.”  
After luxuriating for some time and feeling very chilled out and almost boneless from the warmth of the water and the fragrant bath oil, Lena stepped from the tub and dried her body and hair before wrapping a towel around herself and stepping through to the bed chamber. Asta, true to her word, sat by the dresser where a variety of body oils, powders, brushes, combs and pins were laid out in readiness.

 

Asta gestured to another adjacent chair and sat Lena in front of the dresser mirror, combing through her long damp tresses with an ivory comb, detailed with small golden flowers.  
“You have beautiful hair, my….I mean Lena.”  
“Thank you. Before I arrived it didn’t look anything like this. It was duller, drier, some greys. But when I woke up I don’t know. Loki…um Prince Loki, says that he did something to me while I was sleeping.”  
Asta stared at her wide eyed, fear flashing across her face. She leaned closer and whispered harshly in Lena’s ear.  
“Please, do not ever speak of this in front of anyone else. If what you say is true and it is what I think it is then what the Prince has done is a great crime against Asgard. If anyone were to hear of it and it were reported to the Allfather, he would be severely punished, perhaps banished. Even his status as the Allfather’s son and second heir to the throne could not protect him.”  
“You are very loyal to him,” Lena commented.  
“Prince Loki has been very kind to me,” was the only response, other than a slight bloom of pink across the woman’s cheeks.  
Interesting.  
“I don’t understand,” Lena replied. “What has he done to me exactly? I look about twenty years younger. Hell, I look way better than I did twenty years ago. How is that even possible?”  
Asta chewed on her bottom lip nervously. Lena took pity on the poor girl and reassured her with a light touch to her shoulder.  
“No, never mind. It’s not for you to explain his actions. I will ask him myself.”  
While Lena hadn’t the slightest idea what Loki had done, the fact that it was taboo was an interesting little nugget of information that she would store away for later. If Tall, Dark and Creepy became too much of a handful it might just come in handy.

 

Asta breathed a big sigh of relief and continued her patient ministrations to Lena’s hair with the comb followed by the brush and some smoothing oil until it was silky and tangle free. She proceeded to braid selected sections and swept them up into an elaborate up do, leaving a couple of strands to curl down the sides of her neck. Lena had never worn her hair in a style even approaching this complexity, usually opting for a quite severe and utilitarian bun or tight ponytail which she now realised did nothing to flatter her appearance. This style softened her features and highlighted her eyes and cheekbones as well as her slender milky white throat. Her skin, which had always required some assistance in the form of foundation to hide freckles and the odd blemish and discoloration, needed no enhancement other than a light dusting of what appeared to be a very superior mineral powder, the light shimmering texture of which left her face glowing and natural. Asta opened a small container of wax like ointment that she worked into Lena’s lips, the substance lending a subtle rose accent as well as melting into the skin, softening and plumping it instantly. 

 

Declaring her work done, Asta led her to the side of the bed and after waiting for her to don the undergarments, helped her to step into the green velvet gown Loki had conjured for her, pulling it up her legs and over her slim hips. Lena pushed her arms into the long sleeves and straightened as the younger woman buttoned up the back of the dress with nimble fingers. The scoop neck, adorned with golden embroidery depicting intertwined serpents accentuated her generous cleavage while the fabric hugged her tiny waist before cascading down to her ankles.  
Asta slipped a gold bracelet around her wrist and helped her into some metallic rose gold sandals, winding the ribbons around her legs, just above her ankles and finishing with a bow. A thigh high split in her dress revealed one whole leg as she moved towards the free standing mirror to assess the whole look.  
“You look like a Goddess, Lena,” Asta gushed.  
While she was stunned at the transformation, she felt disquieted by how dissimilar she appeared to the woman who had looked back at her from her own bathroom mirror just a day ago. It wasn’t natural, it wasn’t possible and surely there would be a high price to pay for apparently having sipped at the fountain of youth. A predilection for fantasy and fairy tales in her younger years before the rationality of scientific thought hijacked her world view had taught her that much at least.

 

Suddenly the indulgent aspect of her capture was forgotten, replaced by a growing panic. Lena turned to Asta, shooting the younger woman a rather desperate look.  
“What does he want from me? I don’t know what I’m doing here. I don’t know anything anymore. This is completely insane,” she blurted.  
Asta lowered her gaze and fidgeted with a strand of her hair nervously.  
“Prince Loki has been known to visit Midgard from time to time in search of…um…companions. But it has been many centuries since the last time.”  
“Centuries?” Lena squeaked.  
“Yes, word has it that his last dalliance with a mortal did not end well. He prefers the company of courtesans and from time to time the Allfather will organise balls inviting eligible titled young women in the hope that one will catch his favour but they never do. He merely takes his pleasure and discards each and every one like an old pair of shoes. Virgins, they are because only a pure and innocent girl is good enough for a Prince of Asgard.”  
“Fucking arsehole,” Lena hissed as Asta cringed and whipped her head around again in fright, no doubt checking that Loki was not eavesdropping. “Well, that rules me out. I’m not young, innocent or a virgin and if he thinks he’s getting anywhere near me again, well he can just kiss my -”

 

Her tirade was interrupted by a metallic rapping at the door.  
“That will be the guard come to escort you to the Prince,” Asta explained as she moved to the door flinging it open.  
A huge ball of sinew and muscle stood at attention just outside the door, spear in hand, his eyes trained at a spot somewhere distant, his face completely impassive.  
“Hi,” Lena greeted but the man didn’t blink an eye, not even when she stretched up on her toes and waved her hand in front of his face, trying to break his concentration.  
“Okey dokey then. Right, well, wish me luck,” Lena murmured as she moved reluctantly outside, catching Asta’s gaze as she nodded in encouragement with a small smile. 

 

Following closely behind the gigantic guard who marched stiffly with a rhythmic metallic clunking from his armour and weaponry, Lena was stunned at the size and opulence of the building she found herself in. Loki had stated he was a God and a prince and that he was second in line to the throne. This was obviously the royal palace but it was on a whole other scale than any Earthly palace that she was aware of. She struggled to keep pace with her escort due to his height and the length of his gait – was every Asgardian male a giant? Lena’s neck craned as her eyes surveyed the painted ceiling frescoes and ornate cornices, almost colliding into the back of her escort as he came to a sudden stop in front of a huge wooden door. Hitting his spear against the door three times, the guard waited for a response from inside.  
“Enter,” a commanding voice answered as the door swung open.  
Lena inhaled deeply, suddenly and inexplicably feeling shy like a school girl on her first date. She mentally kicked herself for such a ridiculously inappropriate response before subconsciously smoothing at the fabric of her dress and stepping through the door.

 

There he sat sprawled on a divan, his legs sprawled out arrogantly in what she was to learn was his default posture. He wore the same leather pants that he had earlier in the day but the loose green tunic had been replaced by a tightly fitted black velvet doublet with a deep green high collar highlighting his glittering eyes. His hair was swept back from his forehead in a dark mane that curled at his shoulders. Damn him, he was psychotic but also incredibly sexy. Lena swallowed thickly as his tongue darted from his mouth to swipe across his lower lip. He rose slowly, his eyes dark and brooding as he made his way purposefully towards her, his eyes raking hungrily up and down her frame. 

 

She took a deep breath to steady herself, her heart thumping painfully in her chest as her kidnapper neared. He came to a standstill just a pace away from her, smirking at her insolently. Lena squared her shoulders in irritation and willed her voice to remain calm as she lifted her face defiantly to meet his glare.  
“Alright I’m here. But let’s get one thing straight. I’m not your whore, I’m not your slut, I’m not your anything. Now tell me what I’m doing here and make it quick. I’ve got a life and I’d rather like to get back to it.”  
Lena wasn’t sure where her bravado had come from but she felt it fade when she noticed a flash of annoyance in Loki’s eyes. He brought his elegant long fingers to his chin, rubbing at it and narrowing his eyes as though she was an especially complex mathematical puzzle he was endeavouring to solve. Suddenly his green eyes sparkled with glee, his lips curving into a frighteningly malicious grin that dominated his angular face and caused her to step backwards in panic to maintain the gap between them.  
He chuckled darkly.  
“Oh. I do like you already Lena,” he purred, his seductive emphasis on her name sending an involuntary shiver up her spine. “I think we are going to get along very, very well indeed.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading and the kudos so far. If you have any feedback please feel free to drop me a line in the comments. I lerrrve comments <3


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay in updating. I've had a number of internet/computer issues and I'm trying to juggle 3 fics at once. Really happy with the response so far. Here is the next instalment. Hope you enjoy

“Oh. I do like you already Lena,” he purred, his seductive emphasis on her name sending an involuntary shiver up her spine. “I think we are going to get along very, very well indeed.”  
“I very much doubt that actually,” Lena replied sternly.  
Loki regarded her with a quizzical tilt of his head,  
“Why so negative, my dear? Is my appearance so objectionable; am I that hideous to you?”   
He clasped his hands together at his chest in a melodramatic show of mock offence.   
“Urghh,” she moaned in exasperation. “Don’t go fishing for compliments. I don’t do compliments.”  
“That is a shame,” he responded as his hand reached out to snare a lock of her hair, winding it gently around his forefinger.   
She flinched but was resolved to stand her ground.   
“I was about to compliment you on how very….stunning you look in Asgardian raiment.”  
“What, as opposed to lowly Midgardian rags?” she retorted sarcastically.  
Loki quirked one eyebrow but did not respond, his hand releasing the strand of hair, but not before brushing feather light against the sensitive skin of her collarbone. Lena didn’t believe for an instant that it was accidental. She stifled a gasp as she felt an electric tingle from the contact, biting at the insides of her cheeks to prevent any further reaction. Loki’s lips quirked and then settled back into a neutral position while he continued to appraise her with his unsettling gaze. 

 

To her consternation her stomach took that precise second to vocalise its displeasure at its neglect: a huge growling rumble of hunger sounded positively deafening as it echoed around the otherwise silent chamber. Lena clapped a hand to her belly and blushed hotly. The skin around Loki’s eyes crinkled in amusement as he stifled a laugh at the undignified noise and her embarrassed reaction.   
“Come, sit by me. Take refreshment. You must be famished,” he offered pleasantly, gesticulating at the divan and adjacent table loaded with an assortment of foodstuffs and a silver pitcher filled with what appeared to be blood red wine.  
Despite her hunger Lena shook her head and stayed rooted to the spot.   
“Do you not trust me, Lena?” he asked with a note of impatience and irritation creeping into his tone. This boy/man/god obviously didn’t understand the meaning of the word ‘no’.  
“You’ve got to be fucking with me right now,” she scoffed, unperturbed by the gathering darkness in Loki’s eyes. “You stalked and abducted me, you half strangled me to death, you threatened me with public flogging and gang rape, you sexually assaulted me. And now you want me to trust you? Are you actually touched?”  
“As I recall you rather enjoyed our encounter in the elevator and just now in your bedchamber your body practically begged me for release. Your mouth may lie but your body does not, little one,” he replied with a smirk, the one that she felt a constant urge to smack right off his undeniably handsome but smug face.

 

“It was purely a physical reaction I couldn’t control, you arrogant jerk,” Lena spluttered in indignation as she made a grab for the large handle of the door to make her escape. His hand shot out and covered hers, eliciting a sharp gasp from her as she turned her face to meet his smouldering eyes, a predatory grin exposing his sharp canines. Through gritted teeth she hissed at him.  
“Take your hand off me. I’m not going to let you touch me like that again.”  
Loki laughed mirthlessly and wound the long fingers of his other hand around her throat. She froze in fear and whimpered remembering the last time this had happened in the lift at the convention. However, on this occasion his grip remained loose, his thumb slowly massaging across the sensitive skin of her throat. He stepped closer until her body was pressed between him and the door. She became acutely aware of her now hardened nipples pushing against the hard plains of his chest sending a bolt of arousal straight down between her thighs. Loki leaned in closer until his lips brushed the shell of her ear sending an involuntary shiver down her spine. His seductive whisper wisped gently against the skin at her pulse point.  
“I don’t think you understand the position you are in my dear. Do you actually believe that you have a choice?” he asked, giving her throat a gentle squeeze, enough to make his point but not enough to cause any real discomfort. “I literally hold your puny life in my hands. I could snap you like a twig.”  
Lena stared at him, her eyes wide with fear.  
“Then why don’t you?” she gasped eventually.

 

To her surprise his gaze faltered but his expression was otherwise unreadable. He released her hand and uncurled his fingers from her throat, taking a step backwards.  
“You are of more use to me alive than you are dead,” he replied in a voice oddly devoid of emotion.   
“What do you want from me?” she cried out in fear and frustration.  
“All in good time,” he responded. “You need to eat. Now please, won’t you sup with me,” he asked in a much more deferential tone.

 

Lena was completely wrong-footed by that. She really couldn’t fathom Loki’s complete change of attitude and she certainly wouldn’t have anticipated that the word ‘please’ was even in his vocabulary. However, she wasn’t naïve. The old adage that you can catch more flies with honey than vinegar sprang to mind and after all, he was the God of lies, according to the Norse mythology. He’d proven himself to be dangerous and unpredictable in her dealings with him thus far. She would not allow herself to be played by his solo good cop/bad cop routine or to be Stockholm Syndromed or whatever the hell was going on here. She needed to keep her wits about her. But she also needed her physical strength if she was going to survive, so with great reluctance she allowed his hand to rest on her elbow as he guided her towards the food.

 

In the middle of the table sat an ornate silver and gold cloche. Surrounding it were plates practically groaning with piles of colourful and fragrant fruit (many of which looked unfamiliar to her), nuts, breads, cheeses and cold meats. Lena quietly wondered which army he was feeding. Loki moved to stand beside her, his arm brushing against hers as he reached for the pitcher of red wine, pouring a generous quantity into two silver goblets, handing her one.  
“I don’t drink,” she lied, pushing the goblet back towards him with one hand.  
“You lie,” he smirked. “You were quite inebriated at the conference, were you not? Drink.”   
“Oh, for the love of the Norns,” he exclaimed when she looked at the wine dubiously but made no move to accept it.   
He took a generous swig of his own beverage licking his lips in a rather alluring manner afterwards. It was as though every movement, every gesture was calculated for seduction and yet at the same time it seemed to come so naturally to him, like drawing breath.  
“It is perfectly safe and in fact far superior to the wines of your realm, although I would counsel caution as it is also infinitely more potent.”

 

Well, at least he wasn’t trying to get her drunk. That was one point in his favour. Lena took a small experimental sip of the wine and hummed in appreciation.   
“Wow. That is wonderful,” she admitted. It was tannin rich with a deep blackberry and chocolate finish that reminded her of the full bodied Shirazes back in Australia only infinitely smoother and obviously quite a lot stronger in terms of alcohol content. She felt her limbs and her mind relax almost immediately, not surprisingly as she was drinking on an empty stomach. Loki preened at the praise and gestured to the cloche.  
“Please, you are the guest. I will let you do the honours.”  
“Guest? Yeah right,” she grumbled but couldn’t hide a small smile of curiosity as she lifted the cloche to reveal the mystery food hidden underneath.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies again for the long wait on this update. RL got in the way, as usual *le sigh*

With a piercing shriek Lena sprang backwards and dropped the metal cover on the marble floor with a loud clang. To her horror, the silver salver underneath overflowed with dozens of large chittering stick insects, their spindly legs entangling as they endeavoured to make good their escape across the table top.  
Loki burst out laughing, slapping his thighs with glee but stopped abruptly when he registered the strength of Lena’s reaction.  
Her hands flew to her mouth as she let out a string of blood curdling screams and then collapsed on the ground sobbing in terror, keening and rocking herself as her eyes glazed over. She was vaguely aware of Loki muttering under his breath and of the insects simply disappearing from view with a flourish of his arms, before he approached her position and knelt down regarding her with consternation. Lena fought the urge to both pass out and throw up as her breaths whooped raggedly into and out of her mouth. Her heart thudded painfully in her chest.  
“Sssh. Be at peace little one,” he soothed as his fingers massaged gently at her temples. She felt that strange cooling, healing tingle that he had left on her skin after her spanking and gradually began to calm. She pulled away from him and beat her fists on his chest but he was so muscular and unyielding it was like striking against a solid brick wall. She unleashed a string of unholy expletives and insults but Loki bore it all stoically until she exhausted herself with the effort.

 

“You bastard, why did you do that? How did you even know?” she stammered at last as her chest heaved with her laboured breathing.  
It wasn’t as though her fear was a common one like spiders, snakes or sharks and it couldn’t have been a lucky guess or coincidence. She had loathed stick insects due to a harrowing incident when a few of the creatures had dropped from a tree in the backyard of her home and tangled in her long hair as a very young child. The incident had stayed with her into adulthood, the potency of the fear only magnifying over time.  
Loki had the good grace to appear a little remorseful.  
“I looked into your mind. I know you had an aversion to the creatures so I conjured them to demonstrate the extent of my powers. But I did not understand the depth of your fear. I did not intend….”  
“You invaded my private thoughts?” she cried incredulously.  
“In a manner of speaking. I cannot read your thoughts as such. I can grasp impressions, emotions only. Even then it is a difficult skill to master and requires a lot of energy,” he explained. “Why are you so very afraid of these animals? They are completely harmless.”  
Not wanting to share something so personal so as to give him any sort of power over her, she deflected.  
“Do Asgardians not have phobias?” she asked defensively.  
“When you live as long as we do you learn to fear only those things that will extinguish life, and our lives are very difficult to extinguish.”

 

Lena pulled herself from the floor and smoothed at the skirt of her gown, kicking herself for her appalling display of weakness in front of Loki. His mercurial behaviour completely confounded her. One moment he entreats her to trust him with what appears to be true sincerity and the next, he pulls an enormous piece of mind fuckery like this, manipulating her with one of her greatest weaknesses. She wished at that moment that Asta had provided her with a pair of sturdy leather boots instead of the dainty sandals she now wore. She itched to plant her foot so far up Loki’s ass that he would be spitting leather for a week.  
“Ehehehehe,” Loki giggled almost childishly. It was such an absurdly incongruous sound coming from such an intimidating presence that despite her hostility Lena felt a little hysterical bubble of mirth rising in her throat. But she wasn’t about to give him the satisfaction. Besides she had a pretty good idea that he had just gone mind dipping again which infuriated her no end.  
“What?” she snarled, hands on hips.  
“I do so enjoy your spirit for one who is so small,” he purred almost affectionately. “You are very cute when you lose your temper. Now, come you must eat. No more trickery, I promise you.”  
“Forgive me if I find it difficult to trust your word,” she replied sarcastically, seething internally at his patronising attitude. 

 

Moving cautiously towards the food table Lena plucked at a bunch of what appeared to be Asgardian analogues for grapes but instead of being the usual purple or green, they were bright cobalt blue in colour. She popped a couple in her mouth and as the crisp skins burst releasing the juice inside, she groaned at the exquisite honey flavour that flooded her mouth. Aware of her rather sultry vocalisation and acutely aware of Loki’s heated stare in response, she blushed and averted her face from him. He cleared his throat and reached out to grab a plum like fruit and a piece of cheese for himself before making his way to the divan and settling down. His arm stretched out along the back of the seat while his long legs splayed wide, taking the concept of manspreading to a whole new level. He crooked his finger in a come hither gesture, then patted the seat next to him with a smirk. 

 

After some deliberation and frustrated eyeball rolling, Lena approached slowly and took her place by his side but as far away from him as she could physically manage on the all too small divan. She desperately tried to prevent her eyes from wandering to his strongly muscled thighs and the bulge in his pants now on prominent display, failing miserably on both accounts. Despite the gap she maintained between them she felt completely encompassed by his masculine presence. Loki’s gaze had not left her for one second since she had stepped into the room and the constant attention from this ridiculously charismatic being and the highly sexually charged atmosphere in the room was beginning to fluster her. She fiddled with a strand of her hair before taking a deep breath and angling her body to face him.

 

“Why me?” she asked in a determined voice. “Why am I here?”  
“Because you have something that I need,” he replied in his deep sonorous voice. A frisson of fear shot up Lena’s spine but confusingly it was mixed with a strong sense of arousal. She remembered what Asta had told her about Loki’s past sexual escapades and blushed hotly.  
“And what is that?” she asked with a slight tremble.  
“It is not what you think, Lena. Despite what you may think of me, and I realise only too well that I have contributed to the impression, I am not a rapist. I do not need to take women by force because I can be rather… persuasive.”  
Well, that she could not dispute.   
“Now, I will admit that I have foisted certain attentions upon you although I would argue that you wanted them as much as I.”   
Lena huffed in exasperation and was about to retort but thought better of it when Loki frowned at the slight interruption.  
“However,” he continued, “had I wanted to take you completely and by force nothing could have prevented me. I also had no real intention of publically flogging you or throwing you to my guards. I have no wish to harm you. I think you must see that by now.”

 

Lena stared at Loki in relief but disturbingly she felt a sense of rejection that he did not want her as a concubine. Where the hell was THAT thought coming from?  
“I don’t understand. What was all that business about me worshipping you and me begging you to take me? The grinding? The spanking? The touching? Why would you do all that? And why terrify me with empty threats? What could you possibly hope to gain?” she asked in utter confusion.  
Loki smiled roguishly and shrugged.  
“Playing games is in my nature as is seeking pleasure. Though it was not my primary reason for bringing you here I regarded the physicality of our interactions as a rather… satisfying and fortuitous adjunct. And if the opportunity were to present itself in future I am sure I would take advantage of it. I would apologise for that but I’m afraid it would only be a lie.”  
Lena shot to her feet in indignation, taking a few steps back.  
“Enough. No more games. Tell me now, what do you want from me?” she yelled in frustration.

 

Loki sighed loudly and reclined back in the divan, holding one hand palm up. To her astonishment a spherical absinthe glow appeared above it before a solid round golden object materialised out of thin air plopping into his hand. Loki curled his long slender fingers around it reverently. Lena’s jaw dropped as she felt her legs carry her closer entirely of their own volition, her eyes wide with wonder. She reached out a finger tentatively and smoothed it over the surface of the item; it felt velvety like the skin of a peach and yet it appeared decidedly metallic.  
“Is this….?”  
“An apple,” Loki confirmed, watching her eyes closely. “But it is not just any apple.”  
“Obviously,” she commented testily. “Is it even edible?”  
“Oh yes. In fact, you have imbibed some of the juice since you arrived in this realm.”  
Lena gasped in anger.  
“You force fed me this when I was unconscious?”  
“It was necessary,” he replied nonchalantly.  
“Why?” she snapped.   
“So that you would believe.”

 

Loki’s cryptic and entirely unhelpful answers were really starting to grate on her nerves. It was like pulling teeth only ten times more painful.  
“Believe in what?” she grated out.  
“The power of magic.”  
“Oh for fuck’s sake. Have you ever got the wrong girl. In case it escaped your attention I am a scientist. I have no truck with hocus pocus.”  
Loki frowned, looking a little offended by what he clearly considered to be a personal insult.  
“Is observation not one of the cornerstones of the scientific method, Professor Ericsson?” he countered a little tersely.  
“Of course,” she replied, bristling at Loki’s condescension. “What of it?”  
“What do you see when you look in the mirror?” he asked more gently.  
Lena’s hand shot to her face in sudden realisation.  
“The apple did this?” she stammered. “Loki, exactly what have you done to me?”  
“I have given you the greatest gift that can be bestowed upon your kind,” he responded. 

 

“I have given you power over death. I have put you on the path to everlasting life.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My sincerest apologies for being absent for so long. I seriously lost my writing mojo but after a few readers expressed interest in this story continuing, I have been working hard on it. Here is the next chapter in the story of Loki and Lena. I hope you enjoy.

“No, no, no, no,” Lena muttered as she paced fitfully in front of Loki, wringing her hands in despair and barely contained panic.  
“This can’t be real. What you’re talking about is immortality. There is no such thing as immortality. It flies in the face of everything we understand about physical and biological process,” she added, her mind straining desperately for a logical response. But even she had to admit that nothing she had experienced in the last 24 hours could be logically or scientifically explained. Not a single, solitary thing.  
“And yet…” Loki responded, his shoulders shrugging, a slight smirk quirking his lips before he noted her despondent demeanour and thought better of it, schooling his features.  
She shook her head vehemently and turned her back on him, her hands on her hips, breathing rapidly, trying to regain control.  
“Okay. I get it now,” she intoned slowly to herself. “This has to be some sort of trick. An illusion. Or I’m under the influence of some sort of mind altering drug. Yes, that must be it. Fuck me dead. That’s it. Bloody alcohol. I’m never touching that shit again, I swear to God,” she mumbled.  
“Language! Norns! I’ve never met such a stubborn woman in my entire life,” Loki exclaimed in a huff. “I see that a demonstration is in order to satisfy your sceptical, oh, sorry, I mean your allegedly scientific mind,” he added sarcastically.

 

Lena turned, shooting an angry glare in his direction. She could handle digs at her looks, clumsiness, occasional dirty mouth or any number of other personal imperfections but if there was one thing she could not tolerate it was having her intelligence called into question. Loki, irritatingly, ignored her growing ire and stretched out his hand.  
“Give me your hand,” he ordered firmly.  
Lena shook her head wildly, part of her elaborate updo dislodging in the process. She puffed out a frustrated breath, attempting to shift a stubborn curl of hair that had decided to partly obscure the vision of her left eye.  
“Get fucked,” she hissed as she attempted to back away but Loki reached forward with the speed of a striking serpent and grabbed one of her hands before she had the opportunity to escape. She screamed in pain and shock as he picked up a knife from the table and slashed deeply across her palm, the blood seeping copiously from the jagged wound and dripping to the floor below.  
“No! What are you doing?!” she screeched as she struggled in his grasp, droplets of blood flying in all directions.  
“Be still!” Loki yelled as he held her hand open in front of her eyes, his grip like steel. She stared at him, mesmerised by his intensity.  
“Now, watch,” he commanded.  
Lena summoned all her remaining mental strength, scrunching her eyes shut in protest.  
“Must you always be so stubborn, woman?” Loki grunted as he tightened his grip on her injured hand. “Open your eyes this instant and observe!”

 

Lena winced at the pain and obeyed, her eyes boggling in fascinated horror as her torn flesh knitted seamlessly together in front of her. After mere seconds, she wrenched her fully healed and completely pain free hand from Loki’s and inspected the site of the now non-existent wound, running the fingers of her other hand gently over the flawlessly smooth skin in utter disbelief.  
“This can’t be,” she murmured, her eyes brimming with tears as she finally accepted the truth of Loki’s revelation and everything it implied.  
His large hand gently cupped the side of her face in an attempt at comfort but Lena was too overwhelmed to accept the gesture, flinching away violently.  
“No! God damn it. This is my body, my life. You had no right. No right to make this decision. I don’t want it. Take it back. Take it back!” she yelled.  
“I cannot Lena. It is done. And what is done cannot be undone,” he responded, reaching out to her again. She rejected his advance and hugged her arms around her midriff instead, staring listlessly at the ground in front of her and refusing to meet his eyes. Loki’s arm flopped to his side and there was a tense silence before he responded.  
“There is something further that I need to explain.”  
“Oh that’s just fucking dandy,” Lena responded tartly. “Well, you may as well lay it on me. Things can’t get much worse from here on in.”

 

“You are not yet immortal,“ he explained after a very pregnant pause.  
Lena’s head shot up, her eyes wide.  
“What are you saying?” she asked tremulously and with no little trepidation.  
“The amount of flesh from the fruit that I have given you is enough to restore youthful perfection, confer prolonged life and enhance your body’s ability to heal, as you have just witnessed. Without more imbibed over time, you will still perish eventually and you can be seriously hurt or even killed if the injury is severe enough,” he clarified.  
“Prolonged? What are we talking about here?” she sniffled noisily.  
“It is difficult to say. Your physiology is different to ours and very few Midgardians have partaken of Idunn’s apples. It also varies with the individual. The last of your kind who consumed it lives still. He was given three serves and is more than 600 years old. He exhibits the physical traits of a man in his fourth decade. Some live longer still, some others do not fare as well, quicken and die, usually those that are already infirm.”  
There seemed to be a depth of emotion in Loki’s voice and in his eyes in that instant but Lena was too focussed on her own predicament to fully register it. Instead she sucked in a tremulous breath before responding.  
“So what you are saying is that you played Russian Roulette with my life and actually have no idea what effect this is going to have on me long term. I’m nothing more than a fucking lab rat,” she grated through clenched teeth.  
“I do not understand Russian Roulette,” he replied.  
“Otherwise your assessment is a little inelegant but essentially accurate although I was reasonably confident you would not be harmed with one dose of the apple,” he responded.  
“Looking at the end result I see that my confidence was not misplaced. You appear to respond quite well,” he added smugly as his eyes travelled appraisingly over her form. 

 

“Oh my God,” she stammered, doubling up. “No, I can’t. I can’t do this. I feel sick,” she wheezed.  
Loki regarded her with what appeared to be genuine perplexity. It enraged her that he just didn’t seem to understand the enormity of what he had done to her. All he could see, clearly, was the beneficence of his actions towards her because immortality, or at the very least prolonged lifespan, was a natural state for one of his kind. It was not something to be questioned or feared and was an incalculable gift to those who would not otherwise possess it. To his mind, who, given the choice, would wish to die in a measly 80-100 years? Who wouldn’t want to live longer or potentially forever if the opportunity presented? Unfortunately all she could see were the enormous, life altering impracticalities. And what she could not understand was, why did Loki choose her?

 

She took a deep breath, wondering how she could convey to him her inner turmoil and why she should even bother. Did he even care? Realistically, why would he? If he was what he said he was (and it would appear it was true, given the evidence at hand) then she was a mere ant under his shoe. Regardless, and counter to any strategy of self-preservation she might previously have held, Lena continued with her tirade, her voice strained with anger.  
“How the fuck am I supposed to live my life now, Loki? How do I go back to Earth looking like this? No plastic surgery or cosmetics in the world can achieve this sort of transformation. I look enough like myself that people would recognise me, but how the hell do I explain this? How? I mean Botox can be kind of amazing but I can actually manage pretty decent facial expressions,” she rambled.  
“I can’t go back to my home which means I will lose my career. I won’t be able to establish my identity anywhere else without doing it fraudulently because my physiological age won’t match my birth certificate. You’ve systematically destroyed my life,” she yelled, hot tears of rage tracing down her face.

 

Loki sighed loudly before moving closer to her and rubbing his hand up and down her arm.  
“Don’t,” she snarled as she flinched away from him. His fingers retreated reluctantly in response.  
“You would not have to return if you do not wish it,” he suggested quietly. “You could stay…here…with me.”  
His eyes regarded her warmly, all trace of trickery and malice dispelled. All of a sudden the powerful and arrogant God was replaced with someone altogether more boyish and vulnerable and, if she were honest with herself, very appealing. But so immediate was the shock at her radically changed circumstances and so great was her distrust of the man god in front of her that she refused to be swayed.  
“With you?” she cried incredulously. “Why the hell would I want to do that? You stole me away from everything I’ve ever known and loved. My home, the people I care for are back on Earth. There is nothing for me here. Nothing!” she spat.  
She couldn’t help but notice a fleeting look of pain that traversed his face and something inside her stomach swooped unexpectedly at the sight. She hated herself for caring but before she could examine her perplexing reaction any further, he swiftly schooled his features, regarding her with a steely expression.

 

“You fly to the negative so readily, Lena,” he replied coldly. “Have you not stopped to think of what this will allow you to do? You are a woman of considerable intellectual vigour, who thrives on the pursuit of knowledge. Think what you could do with all that extra time.”  
Part of her was seduced by that concept but another larger part of her still railed against the implications and regarded his words as a very calculated manipulation. She knew this intellectually but she could not prevent herself from expressing her feelings further, even though she knew she was handing him more power over her in the process.  
“You just don’t get it, do you? I will live on while everyone around me will die. I will never be able to stay in one place for too long because people will notice that I don’t age normally. Immortality isn’t a cake walk, it’s a curse. Haven’t you ever watched ‘Highlander’, for fuck’s sake?” she cried.  
She registered his blank expression and sighed in exasperation before continuing, sensing before she even voiced it, that any further explanation she offered would be futile.  
“I’ll be alone and uprooted for the rest of my life. I will never know rest, contentment. I’ll always be looking over my shoulder. I don’t want to be alone and on the run forever. I never wanted adventure, uncertainty. I wanted a home, somewhere solid to belong with people that accepted me, for me,” she explained, wiping at her face with one sleeve. She swallowed nervously as she realised how far she had let her guard down in her emotionally weakened state. To her surprise something she said seemed to hit a nerve with Loki who inhaled deeply, his eyes anguished as he stretched out a hand to stroke his fingers gently down her cheek. She flinched away from him and stared in sudden realisation.

 

“You know what I’m talking about, don’t you? You’ve been through this yourself. You’ve lost people you care about. You’re lonely, aren’t you Loki? That’s why you did this. To keep me here.”  
His eyes dropped to study the floor between his feet before he stroked his fingers roughly through his raven hair. A deep frown line creased the skin between his suddenly tortured eyes.  
“Perhaps I….” he started, averting his gaze before his lips clenched tightly together.  
Curiosity conquered anger as Lena reached out and gripped his large hand in hers, bringing his eyes back to hers, his expression now schooled and unreadable. She gentled her voice as she continued.  
“I don’t get it. Why me? I’m nothing special. I’m not a narcissist or otherwise deluded about my attributes. I was a boring, middle aged woman with average looks before you changed me. You could have chosen any woman in Midgard or any woman of your own kind, for that matter. Why choose me?”  
“You are exceedingly hard on yourself; besides there is more to you than that which stares back from the mirror,” Loki blurted out. His eyes flitted from side to side as he took a deep breath and turned away from her, moving to his goblet of wine on the table, lifting it and finishing the remainder of his drink in one large and audible swallow.

 

He turned again to face her, his facial features hardened. She didn’t think she’d ever grow accustomed to his mercurial mood changes.  
“However, there is another reason I brought you here,” he continued. “Because, as I said, you have something I need.”  
“What could I possibly have that you need,” she asked in confusion.  
“I need… Asgard needs your help. We need your scientific expertise.”  
“For what?” she asked, her curiosity peaked.  
Loki’s voice dropped to little more than a hushed whisper.  
“Idunn’s apple trees are dying. Without your help, in time, everything you see and everyone around you, the realm of Asgard itself, will perish.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter we have the first appearance of everybody's favourite thunder god. He is suitably impressive but geez his timing sucks. Thanks for reading.

“Well fuck me,” Lena drawled as she swallowed thickly and made her way towards the divan, thumping down inelegantly. Loki approached slowly and lowered himself down beside her, maintaining a slight gap between them. Lena reached for her wine goblet and downed the remainder of her drink in a few noisy, messy gulps, a trickle escaping her lips and sliding down her chin. She swiped impatiently at the deep red droplets, replacing her goblet on the table with a clumsy metallic clang. She winced at the unintentionally loud noise as it echoed around the chamber. To her chagrin, she could feel a prickling heat across her cheekbones and a loosening of her muscles as she gradually slipped into inebriation. She wasn’t great with alcohol at the best of times but this wine, like everything Asgardian she was starting to learn, was in a league of its own. Besides which she hadn’t eaten anything substantial since the convention dinner so there was nothing in her system to absorb it. Her eyelids grew impossibly heavy, her mental processes sluggish as her body fought to retain its upright posture beside a taciturn Loki. But despite all of this dysfunction, one thought remained crystal clear.

 

“Tell me what you are thinking,” he requested eventually.  
Lena sighed loudly and adjusted her position to face him.  
“I am thinking that you are the biggest prick I have ever met and that I am the biggest fool for trusting a single word that comes out of your mouth,” she clipped.  
Loki stiffened beside her, his eyes narrowing in anger. He opened his mouth to speak but before he could utter a word Lena rose unsteadily to her feet once again and crossed her arms in front of her chest.  
“You’ve been playing me since the first moment we met. You never wanted me in any capacity other than my role as a scientist. You never had any interest in me beyond what I could do to save your sorry arse.”  
“That is not…” Loki began but again he was interrupted by Lena’s now slightly more strident voice.  
“Don’t you dare lie to me anymore. Tell me the truth, assuming that is something you are even capable of. When you said that I could stay here with you if I wished, that was not a suggestion or even your preference was it? It’s not because you really want me to stay. It’s because even if I do manage to haul your butt and your precious Asgard out of the fire you have absolutely no intention of letting me go.”  
“I –“ Loki began but a slight hesitation on his part had Lena immediately on the attack.  
“I am to be a prisoner here forever, aren’t I?”  
“No, that –“  
“Or is it even worse than that? Once I’ve done my bit and I am of no more use, are you going to kill me?” she asked her voice now trembling. “Oh my God,” she cried out before swirling around and making a desperate lunge for the door. 

 

She squealed as Loki materialised in front of the door blocking her path. Perhaps because of the alcohol or as a result of her growing panic, she threw caution to the wind and eschewed any semblance of self- preservation, launching herself at him and pummelling his chest with closed fists. She may as well have been striking a brick wall for all the impact she made. Loki caught both of her wrists in one hand and snaked his other arm around her waist drawing her against him.  
“Stop. You need to calm down Lena,” he hissed.  
“Fuck you,” she yelled as she squirmed in his hold but with his preternatural strength her struggles were futile. Loki merely maintained his vice like grip until eventually she exhausted herself with her exertions and she slumped against him, tears of frustration spilling down her cheeks as the hopelessness of her situation overcame her. Loki released her hands and brought one of his own to her chin lifting her face to meet his with his long slender fingers. To her chagrin, she found herself mesmerised by his beautiful eyes as he regarded her intently.  
“Listen to me now. I am not going to hurt you. Not now and not in the future. You have my word.”  
Lena searched his eyes through the haze of her tears and his expression appeared earnest. But this was the God of lies and so far he hadn’t exactly done anything to win her trust.  
“I don’t believe you,” she sniffled.  
“I know you don’t,” he replied with a deep sigh and what Lena thought sounded like genuine regret and yet still she couldn’t overcome her distrust.  
Loki gestured behind her towards the divan.  
“Please. Sit back down. I will tell you the truth. I will tell you everything. I swear it.”  
Lena turned and reluctantly made her way, weaving slightly from a combination of mental and physical exhaustion along with the fog of inebriation.

Once they were both settled, Loki commenced his narrative, his expression stony.  
“About ten seasons ago, Idunn’s assistants who tend the apple orchard began to notice a change in the trees. The bloom came much later than is usual despite favourable conditions. When the fruit came, it was not as abundant, of lesser quality and generally smaller in size although some of the trees continued to produce normally. No undue insect activity or blights were evident. We thought that perhaps it was an anomaly and would pass, but every season since, more trees have been affected and the yield issues have worsened. Those who have partaken of the underdeveloped fruit noticed that the effect was not as expected.”  
“What do you mean?” Lena enquired.  
“Those who ate the apples for the first time did not show a transformation as extreme as yours where once they were commonplace and the change did not take for any length of time. Those who had been consuming them for some time and were due for rejuvenation had to repeat their doses much more regularly, further diminishing supply. The small fruit are just not as potent. As a result we had to ration the larger fruit and eventually even the smaller ones. Only those citizens of high importance to Asgard may now have access to them. Even with such arrangements in place the situation is becoming dire. Despite our best efforts we have been unable to turn the situation around. Unfortunately, while our civilisation is impressive in many ways we do not have the benefits of your Midgardian science. Therefore, my father tasked me with returning from your realm with one of its scientists in the hope that they could discover a cure for whatever it is that ails the orchard.”

 

“And I gather that your father does not plan on allowing me to return home?”  
Loki hesitated before replying, his eyes shifting to the ground.  
“My father has no regard whatsoever for Midgardians. To him, they are nothing more than cattle. For that reason and to safeguard the existence of this realm, he would prefer that you were disposed of after you have served your purpose.”  
Lena gasped and attempted to spring from the divan but with lightning quick reflexes Loki grabbed her hand and drew her back down.  
“But, I swear to you that is not going to happen. I will find a way to keep you safe,” he assured her.  
“How do I know you will keep your word? That you won’t just dispose of me once I’ve done what you brought me here for,” she asked tremulously.  
“Believe me when I say that I am not my father, Lena,” Loki stated quietly. There was a strange tightness in his voice and an aching honesty that gave her momentary pause but she was too distracted to pursue it.  
“Think about it Lena,” Loki responded after a slight hesitation. “Why would I sacrifice one of the immortality fruit and use it on someone who is not even Asgardian, especially if my ultimate intention were to eliminate you?”  
Lena frowned, trying to concentrate through her exhaustion.  
“I thought you said that you wished to make me believe in who and what you are, to convince me to help you.”  
“There are much easier and less troublesome methods of persuasion that would not have been nearly as pleasurable for you but just as effective, had I chosen to employ them.”  
Lena suddenly remembered her conversation with Asta and how the young woman had revealed that Loki had in fact done something prohibited and put himself at great risk in order to transform her.  
“Then why didn’t you?” she asked in genuine perplexity. 

 

His face gentled before he replied.  
“This is why.”  
Suddenly he reached out and grabbed her by the arms, drawing her towards him, his mouth engulfing hers in a passionate kiss. As she gasped in shock he took that opportunity to breach her lips, exploring her mouth with his tongue as one hand locked behind her head pressing her close, his other hand hoisting her dress up to her thighs, his arm wrapping around her waist and lifting her to straddle him. She squealed against his lips and struggled until her legs settled over his thighs, her core settling directly over his hardening cock. With a loud gasp she ceased her struggles and moaned, returning Loki’s kiss, her tongue sliding over his, her teeth pinching at his bottom lip as she ground herself against him. He moaned in response, thrusting his hips upwards seeking the heat between her thighs as his lips moved to the pulse point of her neck. She felt a sharp pain as his teeth breached her skin but the sting was soothed almost immediately by the lapping of his cool tongue. Her hands moved under his tunic, across his chest and to his back, exploring the perfect smooth skin stretched over sculpted lean muscle. As she scraped her fingernails over his shoulder blades he hummed and arched his back like a big contented cat begging for more.

In a completely unexpected move Loki grasped her around the waist and moved her on to her back on the divan, settling his weight on his elbows on top of her, his legs settling between hers, his erection pushing right at her mound.  
“Oh my God,” she whispered breathlessly as she finally registered how incredibly well endowed he was.  
“Oh yes, pet. At last you understand. I am indeed your God,” he preened.  
For once she was too overwhelmed to respond to his arrogance with her usual snark. She was still angry with him and distrustful, fear always lurking just below the surface but her senses were overwhelmed, her body thrumming with a sexual energy that she had never experienced with any other man. Then again, this wasn’t just a man. Before her thoughts scrambled completely she briefly wondered if Idunn’s apple or if some nefarious Loki magic was responsible for the intensity of her physical reaction. Either way she offered no resistance as he rather impatiently shoved her dress down her shoulders exposing her full rounded breasts with their deep rose nipples, puckered and peaked in arousal. He cooed in appreciation and trailed a lazy finger down the soft curve of one breast and over her nipple, eliciting a deep shudder and an arch of her back as an electric jolt travelled through her body to her core. She rubbed her thighs together and moaned as she felt the first flush of heat and dampness from Loki’s expert touch.  
“Please,” she pleaded, but she wasn’t even sure what she was asking for, just that she needed more, of everything.  
He chuckled as he kissed over the swell of her breast and enveloped his lips around a pebbled nipple, scraping at it with his teeth and flicking it with his talented tongue.  
Lena groaned and laced her fingers through Loki’s long obsidian hair bringing his face even closer to her breast as one of his large hands moved to her other breast, tugging at the nipple there fiercely, sending an intense flash of pleasure pain right through her body.

 

Loki released her nipple from his mouth with a wet pop and sat upright while Lena shimmied the dress down her body leaving herself completely naked. Loki grinned and kissed down her abdomen to her belly button, swirling his tongue inside it. She squirmed and giggled uncontrollably.  
“Ticklish, pet? That is very useful information,” he smirked as he continued his path down with excruciating slowness over her belly and finally to his ultimate destination. The anticipation of his touch there was driving her wild.  
“Aaaah,” she cried finally as his tongue swept along her swollen pink lips and delved between them to lap enthusiastically at her essence. Her fingers carded through his silky hair as she moaned and rocked her hips against his mouth urging him closer to where she really needed him, her every nerve ending on fire.

 

Suddenly a loud knocking sounded at the door. Lena whined pathetically as Loki’s mouth left her, his head whipping irritably towards the source of the interruption. So great was her sense of loss that Lena thought she might just cry. She bit her lip to prevent a scream of frustration.  
“Brother. I must speak with you. It is a matter of great importance.”  
Despite the inopportune timing Lena was intrigued by the impressive bass baritone that emanated from the other side of the door. She desperately searched her memory of Norse mythology and concluded that if this insane fairytale was running true to form, this could be none other than Thor, the God of Thunder. The one with the bloody big hammer. She giggled incredulously but sobered when she spied the furious glare that Loki shot towards the door.  
“Not. Now,” he snapped, his eyes hungrily returning to the apex of Lena’s thighs.  
“This cannot wait, Loki. Open up,” the voice boomed impatiently.

 

Before either she or Loki could respond, the door flung open revealing the most impressively muscled specimen of a man that Lena had ever seen. Even Arnold Schwarzenegger in his body building prime seemed like a scrawny bespectacled nerd with a penchant for pocket protectors in comparison to this Herculean apparition. Woops, wrong mythological culture, she corrected herself. Her jaw dropped and her eyes bulged like something out of a Looney Tunes cartoon as she surveyed the being in front of her – a study in perfect male physiognomy clothed in skin tight black and silver armoury that accentuated every plane of his expansive chest, huge biceps and trunk like thighs. A scarlet cape flowed over the broad expanse of his immense shoulders and cascaded to gently caress the marble floor below. His face, framed by almost white Nordic blonde hair that scraped his shoulders, was sculpted granite with a jaw that would put Roger Ramjet or any number of Formula One drivers to shame. His eyes were a cold and almost translucent blue colouring that reminded Lena of a Siberian Husky that belonged to one of her colleagues but there was nothing cute and fluffy about this beast of a man.

 

“Oh. My. God,” she whispered as her eyes travelled over every contour of Thor’s immense chest. If this is how big his chest and arms and legs were then how big was his….?  
Through her daze she vaguely registered an irritated clearing of the throat next to her. An unimpressed Loki glared firstly at her and then at his brother, his patience obviously wearing thin. Lena suddenly remembered where she was and how exposed. She squealed and shuffled herself behind Loki, covering her breasts with her hands.  
“Well, well, Brother. I see your time in Midgard has been put to good use. Introduce me to your latest acquisition. I trust that our long standing agreement to share is still in place,” Thor rumbled as he slowly approached the divan.  
Lena gasped, the blood draining from her face as she stared imploringly at the man next to her. She grabbed his hand to signal that she in no way wish to be shared but to her utter dismay he wrenched his hand from her with a contemptuous sneer as though she was afflicted with some horrible disease and merely grinned at his blonde brother.  
“Of course Thor. What is mine is yours, as ever. Woman, arise and bow before the heir apparent to the throne of Asgard, at once,” he ordered her imperiously.  
So her suspicions of Loki were correct all along and he had simply manipulated her once again. Lena swallowed back bile at Loki’s heartless betrayal, as she contemplated the frightening prospect of baring herself to the enormous and intimidating man standing in front of her.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Trigger Warning*  
> For sexual assault and attempted rape. If these factors are likely to upset you it might be best to avoid reading this chapter.  
> On another note, I might just point out that Thor in this universe is my depiction and nothing like the lovely Chris Hemsworth Thor, except for some physical resemblances. You'll really want to kick him in the nuts, just saying.

“Don’t just sit there you stupid slut. Do as I say,” Loki yelled right in her face.  
Lena scrambled to comply. She fought the tremble in her knees, forcing herself to move forward until she came to an abrupt halt a few feet away from Thor, her eyes steadfastly glued to the ground in shame and humiliation. While she was too terrified to meet his eyes a cold shiver crept up her spine as she felt his lecherous gaze slither all over her naked and quaking form.  
Don’t cry, don’t cry, don’t cry. She repeated the mantra over and over in her head in an attempt to remain grounded.  
“Come closer,” Thor rumbled eventually.  
Lena shook her head and took a step backwards covering her breasts and mound as best she could with her arms and hands, her panicked eyes darting around the room, now desperate for escape. Her eyes landed on Loki’s, pleading for him to intervene, to stop this nightmare, but it quickly became evident that there would be no help from that quarter judging by his disinterested demeanour. Lena blinked back tears and shook her head in dismay. She couldn’t believe how heartless he was being given what had just transpired between them and how incredibly naïve and stupid she was to have allowed herself to be deceived by him again. It figured that the first time in years she let her guard down with a man and followed her desires, it would end in disaster. 

 

“I said come here wench,” Thor grunted impatiently.  
His arm shot out with a speed belying his size, grabbing Lena by the wrist and jerking her towards him. She cried out in pain and shock as she collided heavily with his armoured chest, the steel band of one enormous muscled arm clamping firmly around her waist, entrapping her in an inescapable bond.  
“Let go of me,” she cried out as she pummelled him ineffectually with her small fists.  
“Not very friendly, is she Loki?” Thor remarked. “Definitely requires more training. Give her to me and I will see to it,” he laughed as he gripped her tighter.  
Loki did not respond in any way.  
Her face heated and she began to panic as Thor hoisted her up effortlessly, his burgeoning erection grinding ominously against her pubic bone. She kept her thighs tightly pressed together and attempted to push away from him but she was largely unsuccessful and the resulting friction only seemed to excite and harden him further. 

 

Her eyes sought Loki’s again but he had not moved a muscle to intervene, merely observing nonchalantly from the comfort of the divan. Lena did not think she had ever hated anyone as much as she did him at this very moment. Conquering her fear for one moment she concentrated every iota of disgust that she felt for him into the dirtiest look she could muster but could detect not a flicker of emotion from the man in return. He merely leaned over and retrieved the remains of his wine and took a long slow leisurely draught before reclining back in the divan with his legs outspread in his favoured position, his face a perfectly blank mask as he continued to observe her struggles. She half expected him to pull out a bag of popcorn as though he was a cinemagoer settling in to watch a movie.  
Damn him to the depths of hell.

 

“Brother,” Loki interjected eventually.  
Lena could not detect any urgency or concern in his tone. It merely appeared that he had tired of Thor’s lascivious grins and her desperate wriggling. Up until this point Lena held onto the slim hope that Thor was merely toying with her and would go no further but it quickly faded as he began to grope one of her breasts and tweak her nipple in earnest with one mighty hand. She cried out as a white hot flash of pain shot through her breast and abdomen but the giant brute merely laughed at her discomfort and twisted it harder. Lena screamed and then froze in terror as Thor juggled her, repositioning the arm that was supporting her so that his hand landed on her bum, his index finger curving around and under to rest right at her entrance.  
His grin widened as he explored her opening, discovering her wetness from Loki’s earlier ministrations. She jolted and gasped as his finger swept her discharge over and around her clit, in slow deliberate circles. Despite her abject terror and revulsion of this man, her body betrayed her and began to respond to his touch. She looked away, tears of shame and mortification coursing down her face.  
“You have prepared her well for me, Loki. Remind me to thank you later,” he laughed as he continued to rub her clit with increasing pressure. Lena began to sob in earnest as she felt the first stirrings of a climax building against her will. He was not seeking her pleasure or attempting to ready her for his penetration. Rather he snickered unpleasantly, understanding perfectly well how humiliating this was for her.

 

He pushed her tightly against his body splaying her thighs apart around his hips as he ground her core against his engorged cock that strained against its leather clad confinement. To her disgust, he brought her nipple up to his mouth and sucked it in, his now freed fingers sneaking between their bodies to fumble with the opening of his pants while he continued to rub her against his rock hard length and stimulate her sensitive bundle of nerves between the V formed by two fingers. Managing to open his trousers, his cock sprang forth and bumped against her belly, hot and throbbing with the need for release.  
“No, no, no!” Lena screamed as panic took hold. She writhed and kicked and pushed away with all her might but Thor’s brute strength rendered her completely helpless as she felt his hand move back away from her clit to her outer lips, parting them with thumb and forefinger exposing her sex to him completely as he moved to position himself.

 

“Brother,” Loki repeated more loudly as he took to his feet, an authoritative edge to his tone.  
Thor halted his assault, Lena’s nipple releasing from his slack lips with a wet pop.  
“As entertaining as this is, perhaps this dalliance should wait. You practically demolished my door earlier. What is this matter of such importance and urgency that it compelled you to invade my privacy?” Loki asked in a bored tone.  
Brought abruptly out of his haze of lust, Thor blinked stupidly a couple of times before releasing a very relieved Lena but only after squeezing her backside then slapping it roundly with a stinging blow that brought tears to her eyes and sent her body flying several feet. She collapsed, hissing as her abused bottom hit the cold marble floor. Her whole body shook with nervous and physical exhaustion as the adrenaline rush triggered by her terror faded. She sniffled as she wiped the tears from her eyes and cheeks while Thor lazily squeezed and adjusted his cock to take the edge of his erection before concealing it back in his pants. Glaring at his brother he sighed in frustration.

 

“You are right. She is not going anywhere and there are more pressing matters. Heimdall has informed father of your return and he has requested your presence immediately. He wishes for you to bring the Midgardian woman with you, but for what purpose I cannot fathom. Why he would be even remotely interested in one of your lowly whores is beyond me.”  
Lena stared up at Thor in confusion. It was apparent that the man had no idea who she was and why she had been brought to Asgard. She glanced at Loki who regarded her with a strange expression.  
“Very well,” Loki responded, picking up Lena’s discarded dress and throwing it straight in her face.  
“Stop your pathetic sniffling, stand up and dress this instant,” he snapped at her. “Thor, please inform the Allfather that we will be along presently.”  
“Of course, brother,” Thor responded. He approached the now standing Lena with a predatory glare in his eyes backing her up against a nearby wall while her hands crushed her dress against her chest to cover her nudity. He continued to advance until their bodies were almost touching, her heart pounding fitfully in her chest, her breathing ragged. She jumped when the palms of his hands slapped noisily against the wall on either side of her head, penning her in. She whimpered and squeezed her eyes shut as he slowly leaned in, his lips barely touching the shell of her ear.  
“I will definitely be seeing you later, little one, so we can finish what we started.”  
She shivered as his hot breath wisped over her sensitive skin and was wracked with a shiver of revulsion as he dragged his tongue up her cheek. He gave her one final lascivious grin and departed the room with a few enormous and percussive strides that set the dishes on the nearby table clattering in their wake. Lena let out a shaky breath that she didn’t realise she’d been holding and proceeded to dress, muttering a string of curses under her breath, her whole body still trembling.

 

Once the door closed noisily behind the other God and Lena had finished adjusting her dress and her dishevelled hair, Loki approached her slowly and cautiously, extending an arm towards her.  
“Are you alright?” he enquired with an apparent concern completely at odds with his previous behaviour.  
“Don’t you touch me, you fucking bastard,” she grated out through clenched teeth. “I’m such a bloody fool. How could I be so stupid? I hate you!” she railed.  
“I know this is difficult but you need to trust me,” he replied calmly.  
A noisy contemptuous breath exploded from Lena at his audacity as she closed the remaining space between them, pulled back her arm and slapped him squarely across the face with all her strength. He endured the blow stoically, merely rubbing at his cheek while Lena shook her hand attempting to dispel the stinging heat from her palm. She suspected it hurt her more than it hurt him but it was still satisfying to see the red bloom of her handprint materialise on his pale and hateful face.  
“I’ll let you have that one, I suppose I deserved it,” he muttered.  
Lena ignored him and launched into a tirade.  
“Oh really? You think? Trust you? You expect me to trust you? After everything that happened before. After what happened just now? You treated me like a whore and let that arsehole nearly rape me in front of you while you just sat there swilling wine, and you want me to trust you? And what was all that talk about acquisitions and sharing? A ‘long standing agreement’, he said? You've violated women like this? Or you stood by and did nothing while you watched him do it, either way you  
are a pig. You’re just as bad as he is. You disgust me.”  
“Lena, I am no rapist," he reiterated patiently. "I have told you that before. And I would never have allowed Thor to hurt or defile you and he greatly exaggerates our exploits with women, as is his way in all things,” Loki placated.  
When he could see that she was not swayed in the slightest, Loki heaved a huge sigh and continued. 

 

“I know you don't believe me but I am truly sorry for what Thor did to you. But equally that … unfortunate scene was entirely necessary.”  
“Unfortunate?” she yelled. “Do you have any idea how terrifying that was for me? And...and he doesn’t need to penetrate me to defile me you clueless prick. You say you wouldn’t let him hurt me, well…guess what, he hurt me, in the worst way a man can possibly hurt a woman,” she continued, her voice breaking.  
Despite her best efforts her emotions boiled over and a hot tear trailed down her cheek.  
Loki frowned and reached out towards her face but she flinched back.  
“Don’t,” she snarled, rubbing furiously at her eyes in an effort to regain control.  
Loki dropped his hand with a loud sigh. As he spoke his voice dripped with regret but Lena was unmoved.  
“I won’t let him touch you again. I swear upon my life. Thor knows nothing of Odin’s plan and has no idea why you are here. As far as he is concerned you are nothing but a concubine for my pleasure, a mere object to discard as I see fit. I had to ensure that he retained that impression. I had to be convincing.”  
“Well bravo on an excellent performance, your Highness,” she snarked.  
“ I cannot tell you how difficult it was for me to sit here and do nothing but I stopped him as soon as I thought it safe to do so without arousing his suspicion.”  
Lena regarded him with confusion, curiosity momentarily conquering her seething anger.  
“Why wouldn’t Odin make his own son and the heir to his throne privy to what is going on? None of this makes any sense.”

 

Loki slicked back an unruly strand of raven hair that had fallen across one eye while he gathered his thoughts. Oh how she hated him. Despite his detestable actions why did he have to be so damned attractive to her with every slight and seemingly insignificant gesture he made?  
“The fact of the matter is that while the throne is Thor’s to inherit by right he and Odin are rarely in accord when it comes to matters of state. Make no mistake, Odin in his prime was a fierce and formidable warrior and completely ruthless to boot. In the first decades of his reign the blood of our enemies flowed like a river. But such was necessary in the early times to ensure Asgard’s ascendancy. Now he prefers a diplomatic approach where possible. My older brother on the other hand, is dull of mind, can be brutish and act precipitously. However, due to his prowess in battle and his sheer strength, Thor has earned the trust and admiration of military leaders amongst our closest allies and for this reason he is invaluable to the throne. The dullard has already acted rashly on occasion, instigating several costly and pointless skirmishes that have done nothing but sow unrest, destabilize our realm and create widows. He cares for little else but pursuing glory in battle and whoring his way through the village taverns.”  
Lena registered the distinct note of disdain and resentment that had crept into Loki’s voice. He had also begun to pace in front of her in barely controlled agitation. So, all was not peachy in the royal household. Interesting.

 

“Odin constantly struggles to keep Thor in check; the simpleton does not even know the meaning of the word diplomacy,” he grated contemptuously.  
“And which approach do you prefer, Loki? I imagine you like to consider yourself a lover rather than a fighter,” she added sarcastically. She deliberately stared straight at his crotch with the most bored and unimpressed look she could summon.  
Loki straightened and puffed out his chest in affront as though his masculinity had been called into question. Lena barely stifled a grin of satisfaction. It was unwise to poke the bear but fuck it was fun. Secretly, although he was certainly no slouch, she had no doubt that what Loki lacked in stature and sheer brute strength compared with his brother, he more than made up for in agility, cunning and intelligence. Disconcertingly, she also realised Thor didn’t hold a candle to Loki in the looks department, as far as she was concerned at any rate, and mentally kicked herself for the observation.  
He nearly got you raped. He is your enemy, he is your enemy, he is your enemy, she mentally intoned remembering, despite her best efforts to dispel the memory, the sensation of his expert fingers and tongue playing on her heated flesh before Thor’s untimely appearance. As furious as she was with Loki and while the memory was unbidden and unwelcome and certainly confusing, at least it served to distract her momentarily from the horror of his brother’s violations. At least her earlier interaction with Loki, while extremely ill advised, was consensual and as much as she hated to admit it, physically enjoyable. Fuck. Stop thinking about it. Stop thinking about him. What's wrong with you? she castigated herself.

 

“I concur with Odin on these matters,” Loki admitted with a grimace, as though the concept of agreeing with his father about anything was extremely distasteful to him.  
“It makes no sense to diminish our resources and lose good brave men over small and ultimately pointless victories. We need to be smarter than our enemies. Intelligence will always out strength,” Loki stated emphatically and with obvious pride in his perceived superiority over his brother.  
Wow, these two boys have their issues. Talk about sibling rivalry, Lena concluded.  
“Our enemies in this realm and others are extremely patient. For now their differences keep them apart and for the most part they have each been mollified into accepting an uneasy peace with us. But we are not delusional. They have waited many ages for an opportunity to overthrow us. Separately they pose no threat but should they become aware of any tangible weakness in us, it may shake off their apathy and give them the impetus to seek alliances amongst themselves and band together to burn Asgard to the ground. If they were to succeed they would kill every man, rape the women and enslave them along with all the children in the surrounding villages. For those that survive their lives will be short and full of brutality. But first they would take great joy in torturing and murdering my family and I and every soul in this palace in the cruellest ways possible. Up until now it has been a constant but distant threat for every Asgardian, but that could so easily change.”

 

Lena shivered involuntarily at Loki’s chilling prediction, hugging her arms around her waist.  
“Odin’s fear is that should Thor learn of the true extent of the issue with Idunn’s apples, it would give him justification and spur him to take pre-emptive action against traditional, more aggressive enemies of Asgard, destroying them before they have a chance to unite forces against us and satisfying his warmongering urges. Despite the advantage of surprise and our strength on the battlefield there would still be losses on our side. Heavy losses that can still be avoided. Therefore, Odin has withheld the full extent of the issue with the apples and his preferred solution from Thor and from everybody but a select few including myself, and my mother, Queen Frigga. As far as Thor and all the others excluded from this inner circle are concerned, the apple problem is just a small temporary one and the restrictions on access to the fruit merely a precaution. But we need a solution and we need it soon before suspicions are aroused and lives are put at risk.”

 

Lena paced back and forth a few times in front of Loki who regarded her with a sombre expression. Finally she sighed, stopped a few paces away from him to maintain their distance, and nodded her head slowly.  
“Okay,” she said eventually.  
“Okay?” Loki responded in surprise. “Dare I hope that means you will help us willingly?”  
“Yes, I will help you,” she confirmed.  
Loki smiled as he took a few steps towards her but she stepped back and held her hand palm out in front of her, halting his advance.  
“But, I have some conditions.”  
Loki frowned in consternation as the smile slowly faltered.  
“What sorts of conditions?”  
With a confusing mixture of regret and determination that she didn’t really wish to dwell on she continued.  
“I don’t want you to ever touch me again. I don’t trust you and I don’t forgive you for what happened just now. I can’t see that ever changing. What happened between us before Thor came in, it… it was a huge mistake, a mistake I will not be repeating.”  
She paused to gauge his reaction but Loki remained impassive.  
“We are nothing to each other. Not lovers, not friends. Nothing. I am here in a strictly professional capacity and will be treated as such. That also means no more games, no more manipulations, no more lies.”  
“Very well,” he acquiesced with a slight nod of his head.  
“And I want you to make no mistake and understand that I am not doing this for you. For all I care you can rot in hell.”  
She fancied that he flinched at that but perhaps she had only imagined it. She rushed on before she lost her nerve, her decision galvanised.  
“I am doing this because it represents to me an enormous intellectual challenge. It represents everything that I have worked so hard for. An opportunity to make a difference, if not in my world then in this one. I am doing this because if I don’t help and all of this is destroyed, if all of those lives are lost because of my inaction, the guilt would literally destroy me. It is quite simply the right thing to do. The right thing for me and the right thing for the people here. So I will do it.”

 

Loki stood quietly, his face unreadable.  
“I have one last condition,” she continued. “When I have done everything I can possibly do, I want you to find a way to get me out of here and back home. I don’t want to stay here one more day than I have to.”  
“What will you do? Where will you go?” he queried, frowning.  
“That is not your concern and not something I can think about right now. If I’m going to do this thing, I have to focus on the here and now. But once it’s done, I’m done with you and this place. Do we have an understanding?”  
“What makes you think you have any power to dictate terms in this situation?” he hedged.  
Lena had anticipated this response. She would have preferred to hang on to the ace she kept up her sleeve for a little while longer but now was as good a time as any.  
“You need me. Sure, you could go ahead and torture me for compliance. Hell, throw me to your brother like you practically did a minute ago. You can kill me or if you get squeamish you can simply dump me back on Earth or some other planet and try to find someone else to take my place but it’s taken you years to find me. It must have or you would not have risked letting this issue drag on for so long. You need me. You need my willing cooperation. You yourself admitted there is no more time to waste.”  
Loki did not attempt to argue her point so she went in for the kill.

 

“And all that aside, I don’t think your father would be very pleased to know that you had broken Asgardian law and given me one of the apples, me being a lowly Midgardian and all, do you? Maybe, just maybe, you’d like to keep me sweet,” she added.  
Loki’s breath hitched and his eyes narrowed.  
“How did you….never mind, I know. I will deal with that little minx later,” Loki muttered angrily.  
“Don’t you dare hurt Asta. She only told me because she was concerned for you,” Lena blurted in panic.  
Getting the innocent young girl embroiled in this mess was an unintended consequence and one she now wholeheartedly regretted.  
“I did not mean it like that. I would not hurt the girl. What do you take me for?” he clipped angrily.  
“Do you really want me to answer that?” she replied.  
Loki huffed in irritation and crossed his arms across his chest defensively.  
“Apparently Asta cares about you, God knows why,” Lena commented with an eyeroll. “She made it abundantly clear to me what happens to anyone who breaks this law so that I wouldn't inadvertently put you in danger.”  
“The laws do not apply to me. I am –“  
“Yeah, I know Prince Loki, second in line to the throne of Asgard, blah blah blah. If you’re so confident that will protect you then how about we put it to the test right now then?” she asked, moving towards the door.  
“No wait,” he muttered as he quickly insinuated himself between her and the door, blocking her exit. His expression swirled with a mixture of fear, hurt and barely suppressed anger as he implored her with his emerald eyes.  
“You do not understand what he would do to me if he were to learn of this.”  
“Believe me Loki, I understand all too well. But you see, your problem is, I don’t care.”  
Loki continued to stare at her, his brow furrowed before slowly nodding his head.  
“I see that now,” he replied in resignation.  
She swallowed thickly as a wave of guilt and regret hit her unexpectedly. But she could not afford to show any sign of weakness or sentiment in front of the being who had become her enemy. No, who in truth had always been her enemy.

 

“Now, do we have a deal?” she asked brusquely.  
A coldness now emanated from Loki’s eyes as he regarded her; he drew himself to his full height and towered in front of her menacingly.  
Lena held her breath waiting for the axe to fall.  
“Very well,” he agreed, his voice clipped. “You have my word.”  
She nearly fainted in relief.  
“Excellent. Well, let’s get this show on the road,” she suggested.  
“Just one more thing, Lena.”  
“Yes?” she asked impatiently.  
“We will have to make this believable. Odin and Frigga must never suspect that we….that anything has transpired between us. We must appear as nothing more than captor and captive.  
“Don’t worry, Prince Loki,” she responded stiffly. “That won’t be difficult because as far as I’m concerned nothing ever did happen between us and my captor is all you’ll ever be to me,” she added as she headed resolutely out the door. 

 

Lena didn’t have the nerve to look back at his face, scared by the prospect of what she might see written there. Perhaps it was sadness or hatred or worst of all, indifference. She wished she didn’t care but for some reason, even after everything that had happened, she did. God knows she shouldn’t. She could feel a heaviness in the air and hear his solid footfalls behind her as she made her way towards Asgard’s throne room and an uncertain future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you don't hate me too much for subjecting Lena to that. I'll make it up to her eventually I promise.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This instalment, we meet the rest of Loki's family. One is charming, the other....well, the less said the better.  
> Thanks for stopping by. Your support for the story is appreciated.

She lay in the dark, her face turned towards the window in her room marvelling at the scintillating multi-coloured nebula and the twin crescent moons that decorated the alien Asgardian night sky. Despite her utter exhaustion her overactive mind would not give her rest as she replayed the events of that evening over and over again. She briefly wondered if a certain God who shall remain nameless suffered a similar fate, tossing and turning in his bed finding no rest, and then sighed heavily, realising how pathetic that thought was.  
“You really are a stupid fool of a woman, Lena,” she whispered to herself as she determined to banish Loki from her thoughts. Unfortunately that proved to be easier said than done. Time and again as she closed her eyes a vision of his face would materialise or his mesmerising voice would susurrate in her ear. She was starting to wonder if he was invoking his magic, so strong was his effect on her. Even despite her terrifying experience with Thor and her abiding mistrust of Loki, a tingling heat teased between her thighs at the memory of Loki’s touch, like he had branded her there. How the hell was she going to survive the next days or even weeks with him so close? She could only pray that their subsequent interactions would be few and far between as a lot of her time would be spent in consultation with Idunn and her team of orchardists. 

 

Eventually, resigned to the fact that sleep would continue to elude her, Lena hauled herself from the bed and padded across the room to a small table in one corner upon which sat a pitcher of water and a glass. Pouring herself a drink, she walked over to the window and gazed out at the myriad twinkling stars beyond, wondering where in that vast field Earth lay or whether she was even in the same system still. She was entirely unclear about where Asgard existed relative to Earth and was determined to discover the answer to this and a thousand other questions that plagued her ever curious and investigative mind. She would have to find someone in this palace with which she could converse as she sure as hell wouldn’t be spending any more time with Loki than was absolutely necessary. There was always Asta who she had learned to trust after tonight and who had proven to be in possession of some valuable information. Lena would have to tread carefully with her though as her loyalty to Loki was steadfast, for reasons that had now become abundantly clear.

 

Other than Asta the only other Asgardians she had met were either unapproachable or downright scary. Thankfully, she had not re-encountered Thor in her travels to and from Loki’s chambers, the throne room and her own room although during her wanderings she was comforted by the thought that both Odin and Frigga, along with Loki had assured her they would offer their full protection. The Allfather had done so with abundant and completely undisguised bad grace and had done so reluctantly after much persuasion and logical argument from both his wife and younger son. This was a hard won concession as it was clear how much contempt he held for her from the moment she had entered the throne room and his granite eyes had latched onto hers. She shuddered as she recalled the encounter.

 

“Lena, for Norn’s sake, slow down,” Loki hissed from behind her. Even with his impossibly long strides, her determination to have this meeting over and done with propelled her with surprising speed down the long winding corridors of the palace.  
“Keep up,” she grunted back, not slowing her pace one iota.  
She gasped as the long cold fingers of Loki’s hand coiled around her upper arm bringing her to an abrupt halt.  
“Breaking your agreement so soon?” she snarked as she glared pointedly at the fingers clenching her bare skin before shrugging him off.  
“Don’t be a little fool,” he snarled through gritted teeth. “I am a Prince of Asgard –"  
“Oh, not this shit again?” she huffed in exasperation.  
“Woman, if you do not shut your mouth this instant, Idunn’s apples, Asgard and the whole nine realms be damned, I will put you over my knee again,” he clipped angrily.  
“Okay, okay. Chill,” Lena mumbled. Having more of a measure of the man, she thought his threats were mostly idle but with him you could never be completely sure.

 

“As I was attempting to convey before I was so uncouthly interrupted,” he stated snottily, “as a Prince of Asgard I would never allow a commoner let alone a Midgardian to walk five paces in front of me nor speak to me with such blatant disrespect. If this pitiable charade is to be in the slightest believable you must keep up appearances and show due deference.”  
Loki chose to ignore her little grunt of exasperation and exaggerated eye roll in response.  
“Now stay behind me, eyes to the floor and speak only when you are spoken to. And keep that sassy attitude of yours in check.”  
“You can kiss my –” she began but quickly quieted when a royal guard in full armour clanked heavily towards them from the opposite end of the corridor they currently inhabited.  
Lena swallowed her pride and fell in several steps behind Loki, her head submissively lowered until the guard had passed them by.  
“Don’t think for one second this means I buy into any of your elitist bullshit,” she hissed once the guard was out of earshot.  
“I don’t really care what you do or do not buy into, Pet. I am merely trying to keep both of our heads attached to our necks,” he retorted through clenched teeth. “Believe me when I say that my father would not have given you half the latitude that I have were he in my place. Now try to behave, for both our sakes. The throne room is around the next corner.”

 

Lena swallowed thickly with apprehension as they rounded said corner, approaching a huge set of black iron doors flanked by two very unfriendly looking guards. Both men straightened and brought their boot clad feet together with a resounding thud. Clanking the ends of their long spears into the marble floor with their right hands while thumping their clenched left fists into their right hand shoulders, they bowed their heads in simultaneous salute. The guard on the left reached for the large handle of the door and wrenched it open. Loki behaved as though he was not even aware of the guards’ presence and entered the chamber, Lena coaxing her leaden feet to follow.

 

She found herself traversing the floor of a huge chamber, the perimeter of which was lined with enormous marble statues representing what she presumed to be characters from Norse mythology, or perhaps more accurately she now realised, figures from Asgardian history. Their footsteps echoed in the vast cavernous space, otherwise an eerie silence prevailed. Wall torches dotted sporadically amongst the huge sculptures cast a flickering glow over their alabaster forms, creating a disconcerting illusion of movement. At regular intervals clones of the door guards were stationed two by two, metallic accoutrements reflecting the torchlight. She craned her neck to examine the ceiling which took the form of a huge classical dome with oculus through which a profusion of bright stars winked. An incandescent shaft of light within which sparkling dust motes swirled speared down from the aperture towards the centre of a raised platform upon which an imposing gold throne was installed. Upon it sat a man and to his right sat a woman on a smaller and less ornate golden chair but both figures were still some distance away so she was as yet unable to discern any physical features. 

 

After what seemed like miles on her weary legs they reached the bottom of an imposing set of marble clad steps leading up to the throne and its waiting monarchs.  
“Remain here, behave and curb that salty tongue of yours,” Loki murmured without turning to face her.  
“Yes, my Liege,” Lena mumbled back sardonically, fighting an urge to kick him square in the butt before making a run for it.  
“Bloody woman,” he grunted before swiftly making his ascension, two steps at a time.  
Lena observed Loki’s interaction with his parents with considerable interest. He bowed to his father, a much older and quite frankly grumpy looking man with white beard and hair that slicked back from his wrinkled forehead and draped over his shoulders. His countenance was stern with downturned mouth and largely unremarkable but for a gold patch covering one eye. He barely inclined his head in response to his son’s greeting and appeared to do so begrudgingly. Try as she may she could not see any family resemblance between this man and Loki but she shuddered involuntarily when she detected something in the shape of the nose and brow that reminded her strongly of Thor. Odin’s raiment was also very similar to his older son’s, complete with trademark scarlet cape. 

 

After registering the brusque coldness of the two men’s meeting, Lena’s focus shifted to Odin’s wife, a statuesque woman who seemed noticeably younger than her husband and almost too young to be Loki’s mother. She wore a striking chartreuse gown with matching embroidered cape. The chiffon dress itself was encrusted with jewels at the neckline that extended up in a delicate golden web that encased her long and slender neck. Her abundant dark blonde hair was piled high on her head in a complicated arrangement of curls and waves. Given the behaviour of all the other members of this family Lena had expected the woman to don a resting bitch face to rival all resting bitch faces but was pleasantly surprised by the gentleness and amiability of her demeanour. Frigga’s eyes, like her husband's and older son's were China blue in striking contrast to Loki’s deep emerald and sparkled with good humour. Her golden skin also starkly contrasted with her younger son’s pale ivory complexion. Lena suddenly realised that all of the Asgardians she had encountered thus far shared the same sunkissed skin tone with Loki’s pallor being the only exception. Strange. She continued to observe as Frigga extended her hand to Loki who took it in his, kissing it almost reverently. The look of genuine warmth that passed between mother and son brought a lump to Lena’s throat.

 

“Bring her,” Odin ordered impatiently, his voice laden with cold contempt. Lena shivered as she caught his penetrating hate filled glare.  
Loki frowned at his father’s abruptness before making his way back down to Lena, his eyes silently imploring her to act her part as they had previously discussed. Lena waited obediently until Loki reached her and was about to mount the first step when his hand shot out and grasped the length of her hair, twisting it around his closed fist and yanking her head towards his chest.  
“Ow! Loki, what the fuck?” she hissed as a white hot pain seared through her scalp.  
“Sorry, he will expect this,” Loki rasped quietly, regret lacing his tone. “Move wench. I will not tell you again,” he declared more loudly as he dragged her exhausted form up the stairs.  
“Kneel”, he ordered as he roughly shoved her to the ground, her knees slamming painfully into the cold and unforgiving marble. The resulting ache was only slightly more bearable than the lingering sting at her scalp but at least Loki had released her. She glared up at him but bit her lip to stop herself from ripping him a new one. He must have guessed her thoughts as the merest hint of a smirk ghosted his lips.

 

“Is that treatment strictly necessary, Loki?” Frigga asked, a concerned frown marring her otherwise perfect features. Lena decided at once that she was a big fan of this woman, lousy choice in husbands and objectionable progeny notwithstanding.  
“Entirely Mother,” Loki replied. “You will not believe how much trouble she gave me in the beginning, kicking and screaming like a banshee. Now she is as docile as a lapdog. Discipline and punishment are key when dealing with Midgardian women,” he added.  
Lena shot him one hell of a hairy eyeball but unfortunately he had turned to face his mother so it was entirely wasted.  
“Quite,” Odin interjected before his wife could reply, although the disapproving expression on the woman’s face spoke volumes.  
“It would appear that you have learned from your prior mistakes. As I recall you would not allow anyone to raise a finger against that other slattern. What was her name? It escapes me. Ah, it is of no consequence. I’m sure you remember which one I mean. The point is, you gave her far too much latitude and the consequences were lamentable. Let us not have a repeat when the stakes are so high,” Odin ordered.

 

Lena struggled to make sense of anything the old man had just said but she knew it had been said to cause his son pain and to goad him. She risked a look at Loki to gauge his reaction. His ramrod stiff body language, the tense lines around his thin lips and the cold glint of his eyes indicated enormous restraint while struggling with some powerful inner emotion. Her eyes fell to his left hand which was clenched into a fist so tight that his knuckles had turned snow white as though the bone was about to erupt through the skin. She was no empath but the waves of fury that emanated from him were palpable. Lena had no doubt that if the stakes had not been so high and had it been anyone other than Odin, Loki would have flown into a deadly and terrible rage. She shot a quick glance at Frigga and noticed the reproving glance the woman shot her husband before returning her eyes to her son with a worried expression.  
“You may rely on me to do my duty Allfather,” Loki responded coldly, his voice perfectly modulated. “However, I would make one request, and that is that if this one requires either discipline or punishment, I shall be the one to administer it, and no one else. It is I who have brought her here. She is my responsibility and mine alone.”  
“Hmm,” Odin pondered. “Very well but keep her in check. I will not tolerate disobedience in my court, regardless of the circumstances,” he warned. “And keep her out of your bed. We do not need the complication. That is an order,” he added sternly.

 

“You need have no fears on that score. She is of no interest to me whatsoever other than what I originally brought her here for.”  
Lena winced internally and wondered why his comment stung so much.  
“But, I assume that the same rule will apply to my brother?” Loki enquired casually.  
“Why would you ask?”  
“He has already harassed the wench. He means to take her, if not this very evening, then soon.”  
Frigga’s eyes shot up in alarm and then shot to Lena, now suffused with sympathy and concern. Lena felt a flush of humiliation spread across her cheeks and waited with bated breath for Odin’s response, her eyes now trained squarely on the ground.  
“I have no particular objection to Thor exercising his right to property of the throne as long as he does not impregnate her or impede her ability to perform her task.”  
“What?” Lena yelled instinctively as she shot to her feet in outrage while Loki froze but remained silent beside her. She clapped her hand to her mouth as she realised the grave error she had just made.  
Odin regarded her much as one would a squashed snail on the bottom of one’s shoe, his face contorted in disgust.  
“You dare?” he thundered. “Remain on your knees whore and do not address me unless you are spoken to or I will whip you bloody and throw you to Thor myself,” he threatened.  
Lena complied hastily wincing as her knees once again hit the marble floor.

 

“Husband,” Frigga intervened calmly, obviously well trained in Odin’s frightful oubursts.  
“Do not forget that the future of Asgard may well rest in the hands of this woman. We cannot afford to risk her health or wellbeing for the sake of our son’s rapacious appetites. You know how..... enthusiastic he gets. Midgardian women are not as strong and resilient as we are.”  
“Weak and insipid creatures. I will never understand the attraction,” he huffed.  
Lena bit the inside of her cheek to stop herself from giving the old coot a piece of her mind.  
“Nor will I ever understand why you resorted to bringing a mere woman back with you Loki. A planet with a population of more than 7 billion, and this… this creature is the best you could come up with?” he challenged.  
“I assure you father, I know she looks decidedly unimpressive,” Loki began.  
Et tu Brute, Lena thought in disgust.  
“But she is the foremost expert in her field. From the point of view of her knowledge and her potential to solve the mystery of the apples I could not have chosen better.”  
Despite the precariousness of her current situation and his prior insult, Lena felt a warm glow from Loki’s praise of her intellect; Odin on the other hand remained sceptical judging by the dubious expression on his face.  
“That is another thing. How proficient can she possibly be? She appears very young to be so accomplished,” Odin added suspiciously.  
“Child prodigy,” Loki responded without hesitation. “As I discovered in my researches, she has always been well ahead of her peers in her intellectual development and her dedication to her profession is unquestionable. I have every faith that she will be the solution to our problem.”

 

“That very much remains to be seen Loki. You had better be right or we may all be doomed. And you are wise in your counsel as always wife. We have way too much to lose to indulge Thor in another of his ridiculous assignations. I will take care of it.”  
“As you say, husband,” she smiled. Lena met the older woman’s eyes and was more than a little surprised to see a conspiratorial wink from her.  
“Now leave us and take her with you,” Odin ordered with a dismissive wave of his hand. “And make sure she is taken to Idunn first thing in the morning.”  
“Yes Allfather,” Loki responded with a slight nod of the head. “Good evening, and to you Mother.”  
Loki leaned over to kiss his mother’s cheek but before he could remove himself entirely her hand gripped his elbow and she pulled him closer whispering something quickly in his ear. Loki turned to her in surprise but eventually nodded in apparent acquiescence before taking his leave.  
“Good night Loki. Good night … what is your name, dear?” Frigga enquired.  
Lena was so used to being treated as the non-person in the room that the Queen’s direct and personable address struck her momentarily dumb. She couldn’t miss the disgusted look that Odin shot his wife in response.  
Loki grabbed Lena by the arm and hoisted her to her feet, the joints of her knees protesting. He nudged her in the ribs with his pointy elbow in an effort to prompt her speech.  
“Um…. Lena….. Lena Ericsson…. Your Majesty,” she added hastily, dropping a hasty and inelegant curtsy.  
A small smile hovered at the Queen’s lips before she responded.  
“Good night Lena Ericsson. Try to get some sleep. You will have your work cut out for you tomorrow and in the days to come.”  
“Yes, your Majesty. Thank you. You too. I mean good night,” she stammered.  
She could literally feel Loki’s eyeball roll and the force of Odin’s disdain even though she could not physically see either as she kept her head down deferentially and shuffled out of the throne room behind Loki.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of a shorty chapter this time around, but the next one will be a bit longer and will reveal some of Asta's back story and some truths about Loki's character.

Once they cleared the entrance doors and were assured of being out of earshot of any stationed guards, Lena let out a massive puff of air in palpable relief.  
“Well fuck me sideways. Wasn’t that just a pile of laughs?” she commented sarcastically. “Now I know where you get it from,” she added.  
Loki turned abruptly blocking her progress, his features stormy, his eyes flashing with anger.  
“Get what from? Do tell,” he hissed.  
“Your pissy entitled attitude,” Lena retorted. “Old man. Dead ringer. Could be twins. No wait, triplets if you include your loser brother. Your poor mother, is all I can say.”  
It was a low, petty and pretty childish blow and she knew it; there was clearly no love lost between the men of the family, but so angered, tired, sore and frustrated was she that she could not resist plunging in the knife and giving it a good old twist.  
Loki leaned closer and bared his canines in a feral snarl.   
Well, that was a whole new level of intimidating.   
Lena took a step back and braced herself for the impact. Instead his voice was perfectly calm which somehow made it even more disconcerting. She would have preferred an ear splitting yell.  
“You do not know the first thing about the relationship between myself and my family. Do not presume otherwise and do not push me, Lena. I make allowances for the fact that you have been through much, but I am fast running out of patience with you.”  
Loki turned and stalked off without another word, leaving Lena to scramble behind him on protesting knee and hip joints.

 

The return trip to her chambers from the throne room was quickly draining what little energy Lena had left and with it, all her resentment. Now that the numbness following the initial shock and fear during her assault and the distraction of her meeting with the King and Queen of Asgard had lessened somewhat, her body was left with a myriad of aches and pains from injuries she had sustained during her rough treatment. Her scalp still burned from Loki’s yanking grip on her hair, both of her knees were bruised and the left joint was clicking ominously every time she put weight on it, a sharp pain lancing down her shin. Her right hip ached with every step from having collided with the uncompromising marble floor after Thor’s attack and she was certain her inner thighs were littered with bruises and friction rashes from his muscled body pushing forcefully against her and her feeble efforts to repel him. The memory of his hands and mouth upon her and his clothed cock battering at her entrance suddenly assailed her with full force as she was overwhelmed by a wave of intense emotion. This emotional turmoil was exacerbated by her verbal altercations with Loki and the shoddy treatment she had received from everyone except Asta and Queen Frigga. She suddenly felt very, very alone. She came to a halt and try as she may to hold them back, hot tears streamed down her cheeks as she began to sob in earnest. She hated feeling so defenceless, not something she was at all accustomed to, but for one of the only times in her life, her trademark strength deserted her. 

 

Loki whirled around, his expression morphing from one of irritation to one of concern as he regarded Lena’s trembling and exhausted frame, her face now buried in her hands as she struggled to regain her composure. Her legs gave way but before she could sink to the ground, Loki scooped her into his arms, eliciting a small squeal from her.  
“Quiet now Lena,” he ordered. It was not a harsh command and yet not exactly kind either, more of a firm but gentle request. She relaxed somewhat, pressing her face against the hard plains of his chest, the warmth and security of his strong arms around her and the steady drumbeat of his heart in her ear gradually anchoring her and calming her frayed nerves. He was murmuring something under his breath that sounded like it was in another language but it was hard to make out. All she knew was that the cadence of it calmed her even further. Still her tears continued to fall silently until they reached the door to her chambers. Loki kicked at the door with one foot and strode to the bed, placing her gently on top of the covers and then sitting down beside her, taking one of her hands in his. As another tear traced down one cheek, Loki reached out with his free hand and stroked it away gently with the pad of his thumb.  
“You’re breaking the rules,” Lena whispered as she flinched slightly at this touch. Loki frowned and withdrew his fingers from her face.  
“It is my palace. I can break the rules if I want to,” he replied with a small smirk as he continued to hold her hand.  
Lena huffed but did not attempt to withdraw it.  
“Should I reply that it’s my party and I’ll cry if I want to? .... Urgh. Never mind,” Lena added when she noticed his confused reaction. She grimaced as she squirmed in the bed, her knees and hip settling into uncomfortable positions that exacerbated her aches.

 

“Besides, it will be necessary to break that particular rule if I am to heal you,” he added.  
Lena froze, snatching her hand away and shaking her head vigorously.  
Loki shushed her and recaptured her hand, giving it a small squeeze.  
“Let me help you,” Loki requested. “I know I cannot heal what you are remembering but at least I can heal your physical wounds. There is no point in you suffering needlessly.”  
“Why would you want to help me? Why do you even care?” Lena asked in genuine perplexity. She’d been nothing but a pain in the posterior to him lately, although he more than deserved it. Why was he being so nice right now? It was confusing, as was his physical proximity, and she wasn’t sure what to do with the emotions it was stirring in her. 

 

She thought she detected an ever so brief flash of compassion in Loki’s eyes and something else that she couldn’t identify before he schooled his features to indifference once again. He placed her hand on her stomach and released it, leaning back to regard her, his eyes inscrutable.  
“Do not mistake pragmatism for kindness. I…we all need you to be on form tomorrow,” he replied. “You are hardly going to be productive if you are lying here in pain and misery all night.”   
Ah ha, the return of arsehole Loki, Lena thought bitterly, but with the return of her irritation with him at least came a little more emotional clarity.  
“Besides,” he continued, “my mother is concerned about you. She made me promise to look after you tonight after what occurred with my brother.”  
Lena was touched by Frigga’s compassion. Pity that it hadn’t worn off on her husband or either of her sons.  
“That’s really sweet of her, but I’ll be fine,” Lena insisted.  
“No you will not. You can barely walk. Your injuries would have been much worse were it not for the apple you ingested and you will heal more quickly but it will not happen overnight. The pain is likely to be much worse in the morning. Please let me do this,” Loki responded.  
Lena sighed loudly. “Then you’ll leave me in peace?”  
“What reason would I have to linger, so yes, of course,” Loki responded matter-of-factly.

 

“Fine,” Lena acquiesced with considerable trepidation as she pulled herself upright in preparation for Loki’s ministrations.   
Confusingly Loki took that second to stand and turn his back on her as he proceeded to the door.  
“Where are you going?” Lena asked in confusion.  
“To fetch Asta. I assumed that you would feel more comfortable with another woman present. I will send her, give you a little time together and then I will return for the healing. Unless of course, you would prefer to proceed without her.”  
Was there a little note of hopefulness in that last question? But then, why on earth would there be? Either way Lena couldn’t have been more stunned at Loki’s consideration of her trauma. She hadn’t thought him capable of that level of empathy.  
“Um. Thank you. Yes, I would appreciate Asta being here,” she mumbled with a confusing mixture of gratitude and dare she admit it, disappointment.   
Loki inclined his head slightly in response but made no further comment before exiting the room, closing the door quietly behind him.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ****WARNING for descriptions of rape and violence.  
> First up, apologies for my absence which was unavoidable. Here is a longer chapter to make up for it

Lena did not have long to wait before the door creaked open and a tearful Asta poked her head in the room.  
“Lena,” she asked softly, “are you alright? May I come in?”  
“Of course, please,” Lena replied, her voice beginning to tremble with suppressed tears.  
Asta swiftly closed the gap between them as Lena finally lost control of her emotions, enveloping her in a comforting hug. Once she had calmed sufficiently Lena disentangled from the younger woman’s arms and wiped her face with her hands.  
As her watery eyes cleared somewhat she regarded Asta’s face, likewise awash with tears, and wondered at the somewhat disproportionate reaction from someone who barely knew her.  
“Asta is something wrong? Why are you crying?”  
“I am so sorry Lena. I am supposed to be here for you and I thought I could handle it. It is just…” she replied, wringing her hands in obvious despair.

 

Lena stared at her in sudden realisation and groaned.  
“Oh God. Did this happen to you too?” she asked.  
After a little hesitation Asta nodded her head.  
“Yes, I was…I was taken against my will many years ago.”  
“Was it fucking Thor?” she grated out angrily.  
“Oh no!” she exclaimed. “It happened before I came to the palace. Thor would never do something like that to me. In fact I have never seen this other side to him. It truly hurts my heart that he would do this to you. I have heard the stories about him, but I thought that was all it was…. stories, greatly exaggerated stories. Admittedly I have heard him be disrespectful to women at times too but I never thought…. I am so sorry Lena. If only I had known I could have warned you, spoken to him, stopped him somehow.”  
The woman was working herself into a state, so Lena took her hand and squeezed it gently.  
“No, don’t blame yourself. The only one to blame is Thor.”  
And Loki for not stopping it sooner, she thought bitterly, but she couldn’t express that to Asta as that would expose their subterfuge and open up a whole can of worms. 

 

“I know. The decisions Thor makes in life are all his,” Asta continued, her voice trembling, “But it is hard for me to think of him as being no better than the animal that violated me.”  
“Do you want to talk about it, Asta?” Lena asked gently.  
“Do you mind?”  
“No, of course not,” Lena replied, thinking that in fact it might help to distract her from her own dark thoughts. Besides, she really wanted to know more about this young woman who was gradually becoming more than a servant to her.  
“It does help to talk,” Asta sniffled gratefully. “Even though Prince Loki knew about what happened to me, it is sometimes hard to talk to him about it, you know? And it happened so long ago but sometimes something happens and it all comes flooding back. I remember the man so clearly as though it happened just hours ago. His smell. The sound of his voice. The rough feel of his calloused hands on my skin. His breath on my neck. Sometimes I can still feel him moving inside me, even after all these years,” she mumbled, hugging herself and shaking her head vigorously as if to physically dislodge the painful and horrifying memory. Lena gave her hand another squeeze in support.

 

“What was Loki thinking sending you here tonight? He must have known that this was likely to be upsetting to you. Surely he couldn’t be that clueless?” Lena grumbled in irritation.  
“Oh Lena, you’re so quick to jump on him,” she admonished gently. “I know it was hard for him to tell me and it was difficult for me to hear. But I held it together and pretended I was fine with it until I was out of his sight, then I couldn’t control it anymore. But I still had to come to you. He was so worried about you that I was really scared for you.”  
“He said he was worried about me?” Lena mumbled feeling a little contrite.  
Still another part of her believed that he was simply worried about his scientific expert having a mental and emotional breakdown and his precious Asgard going right down the S bend with her.  
As convinced as she was that he actually didn’t give a rat’s backside about her, why did she catch herself waiting with bated breath for Asta’s confirmation.  
“He did not say it with words. Not exactly.”  
Ah, there you go, Lena thought cynically.  
“But he did not have to. It was so obvious to me that he was upset and angry. Beyond angry. Prince Loki is very good at hiding his feelings but he cannot hide them from me. I have known him way too long. He cared about what happened to you. I could see it in his eyes. It reminded me very much of the look in his eyes the moment he first saw me.”

 

Lena studied Asta’s face but could only find complete conviction there. She changed the subject before she allowed herself to dwell on it any longer.  
“You’re very close to him, aren’t you?” Lena queried.  
“Prince Loki was the one who rescued me from sure death and gave me a new life. The one who found me, after….”  
“The rape?”  
“Yes. Are you sure you want to hear all this?” Asta asked. “I do not want to add to your upset.”  
“If you want to tell me, then I’m all ears. Please,” Lena encouraged.  
Asta took a big deep breath and continued.

 

“I lived in a small village about two day’s travel from here with my older sister and my mother. My father died when I was still a baby so it was just us women, although the men of the village would help us with our crops at harvest times and with the heavier jobs around our farm. They were always looking out for our safety too, bless them. One day not long after my fifteenth birthday most of the able bodied men of the village left for a day of hunting elk in preparation for salting meat for the winter, leaving only a few behind. What no one knew was that we were being watched by a group of bandits who had been raiding surrounding villages for some months. With most of the fighting men gone they saw their opportunity and attacked, setting fire to most of the domiciles. Our men and the elders were dispatched quickly leaving only the women and children to fend for themselves. Hearing the screaming and living on the farther side of the village we managed to escape out the back door of our cottage and run to an abandoned barn on the edge of the nearby forest. We could hear the screams of the others faintly in the distance as we crouched in the shadows trying not to cry or make any sound. But several of them found us eventually. There were four of them. They….”

 

Asta paused in her narrative as her memories overwhelmed her. Lena gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze for encouragement and waited patiently.  
“They took my sister first. They ripped off her clothes and three of them held her down while the fourth….And then the rest each took turns. She screamed and cried and begged them to stop. So did my mother and I, but that just seemed to amuse and encourage them.…. They were so brutal and it went on and on ….. she bled to death in front of us,” Asta sniffled as she wiped at her eyes.  
“Oh God. I’m so sorry,” Lena gasped in horror as she leaned over and gave Asta a quick one armed hug.  
“Then, they did the same to my mother but before she could bleed out one of them slit her throat.”  
Words would not come. Lena couldn’t fathom how horrific this experience must have been for such a young girl, to see her only family brutalised and slaughtered in front of her in such a traumatic way and knowing that she would soon share the same fate.

 

“Two of the men grabbed me, one my arms, the other my legs and brought me to the ground. But before they could go any further a voice - one of their own - shouted out a warning from outside. Apparently a large group of men was approaching on horseback and that made them pause. All but three of the bandits panicked leaving me with just one of them, the one who had been the most sadistic and who had wielded the blade that slit my mother’s throat. I will never forget his cold eyes. They were almost completely black as he leered at me, his dagger catching the light from outside. Then he was on top of me. I kicked, I screamed, I punched but compared to me he was a giant and too strong. I could barely breathe, he was so heavy. He put the blade to my throat and tore my clothes off with his other hand and then...”  
Lena wiped a tear from her eye but made no comment. Asta took a shaky breath to compose herself before continuing.

 

“Despite the danger outside, he held his hand over my mouth to stop my screams as he took his time with me. The pain was indescribable after a while, like a red hot searing knife stabbing into me. After he finished, the knife at my throat began to cut into my skin and I thought it was all over but just then a noise outside spooked the bandit and he ran off leaving me there. I was bleeding heavily between my legs. I was inexperienced but knew enough to know that maidens bleed the first time. However, this was something else altogether. He had damaged something inside of me; that much I was sure of. He had also been very frenzied and had bitten my throat and breasts, so along with the wound at my throat, my upper body was slicked with blood. I tried to cover my nakedness but my clothes were in shreds. I was so scared that he would come back and finish me off or that these other men that had scared the bandits off would come to take their turn with me too. So I just crawled into shadows at the far corner of the barn and tried to hide as best I could. 

 

“I cannot remember how long I lay there but it was now very quiet outside so I was on the verge of venturing from the barn when suddenly the door opened and a tall dark figure walked in. He was silhouetted so I was unable to discern his features until he was almost on top of me. I was shaking so hard and crying in terror so my eyes were blurry but then the light caught his face at the right angle and I saw his expression when he turned to look at the bodies of my sister and mother and then back at me. He looked like he was on the verge of tears himself. He told me who he was and that he was sorry he was too late and had been unable to prevent what had happened. He explained that as I was one of his subjects in need of protection he was responsible for me now and that I was safe with him. He asked permission to touch me, to heal me. He advised that my blood loss was so serious that it was probable that without his almost immediate intervention I would perish but he said the choice was mine and he could still ease some of my pain by holding my hand while I passed if that is what I preferred. His voice the whole time was so gentle and he moved like he was scared of spooking me. So, I made my decision. It was very difficult for me to have him touch me in those places where the bandit…where he had… been… but somehow I knew I could trust Prince Loki, that he would never hurt me and I was young and did not want to die. 

 

“Still, it was not easy for me. I could tell it was not easy for him either but he was very patient although I could tell that my crying throughout really affected him. After it was done and the bleeding and pain were gone, he seemed depleted, as though it had taken everything out of him to cure me or that he had absorbed some of my suffering somehow. Still, he wrapped me in a black cape he was wearing and picked me up and brought me to the palace cradling me in his arms on the back of his horse for the entire two day journey. While the bleeding had stopped he was clearly worried that I still might not survive so the only time he stopped was to spell his horse or to feed some food and water between my lips. You see, I was so weak I couldn’t even feed myself. 

 

“Prince Loki made sure I received the best of care and eventually I physically recovered. My village was basically burnt to the ground so I had nowhere to go. He bade me stay and installed me as his personal servant so that he could keep a close eye on me. Queen Frigga was an angel to me at that time, almost like a mother to me. She would sit with me and just hold my hand and listen to me talk when I needed to. But Prince Loki never quite knew how to act around me when I would randomly burst into tears and it shames me now to say that even after everything he had done I did not entirely trust his motives so I never dropped my guard with him. It was nothing personal towards him. I had lost confidence in all men because of what had happened, not just him. I think on one level he understood that but it still hurt him, I could tell. Still despite what it cost him emotionally, he never gave up on me. He used to do all sorts of weird and crazy things to try and make me laugh and feel more at ease, lots of tricks and silly light hearted pranks. And he would bring me gifts. One time he even went all the way to your realm and fetched me a kitten,” she smiled.

 

“But the night terrors would take hold and soon things would be back to square one. I could tell that it really pained him that he could not find a way to break through my malaise and distrust. So he did the only thing he could think of that he thought would help me on the road to recovery. One day he returned from what I had believed to be a diplomatic mission in one of the other realms, one of many that he has conducted over the years. It was not until he entered his rooms covered in blood that I understood I was under a misapprehension.  
‘I found those who so wronged you and your family and they have been put to the sword,” he told me. ‘I promise you their ending was neither swift nor merciful, especially the one who defiled you. You need never fear him or live with the knowledge that he and his cohorts still abide in this world.’  
From that day on any lingering suspicion I had of Prince Loki, any slight doubt that he had anything other than my complete happiness and welfare at heart completely disappeared. I pledged my life and my loyalty to him until the day I myself pass from this realm,” Asta finished.

 

Lena sat stunned, not just from the horror of Asta’s experiences but how, in many ways, she had misjudged Loki. His treatment of Asta in her extremis was nothing short of exemplary and quite frankly touching. She briefly wondered why he hadn’t shown her the same consideration but was self-aware enough to realise that the situation was entirely different and even if he had, she would only have thrown it right back in his face and would have enjoyed doing so. Surely he didn’t deserve complete forgiveness but maybe she should extend the olive branch, just a little.  
“Asta, I don’t know what to say, I –” she mumbled.  
“No, you do not have to say anything. You have your own experiences to deal with. For me it happened so long ago and while I will never forget what happened and how I lost my family, I learn to deal with it a little more each day. I hope that it can be the same for you. I guess what I want to say is that like me, you have people around you that care and that is what makes all the difference. 

 

“You have me and you have Prince Loki. I know you find that difficult to accept. I sense that you really do not trust him; you harbour a lot of anger towards him. I know that he brought you here against your will but otherwise I know nothing of what has transpired between you behind closed doors and I do not wish or need to know unless you at some stage wish to tell me. I do not condone his behaviour in any way but please know that he would never hurt you. He likes to play games and he can be challenging but he would never take a woman against her will or damage her. Nor would he allow anyone else to do so if he could stop it. That I believe with every fibre of my being. And after looking into his eyes tonight when he told me what happened to you, I know that if it had been any other man but his brother and the heir to the throne of Asgard that had done this thing to you, he would have been covered in blood again this night.”

 

Lena felt the little sting of a tear in the corner of her eye but wiped at it and forced a trembling smile to her face.  
“Thanks for being here for me. As for Loki, I want to trust him but he makes it so damn hard sometimes,” Asta commented.  
“I know. He can be difficult at times. But his heart is in the right place. Most people get fed up with his horseplay and his constant about-faces and do not stick around long enough to find that out. He really is his own worst enemy. I know he gets lonely sometimes. I feel sad for him.”  
“He can’t lack for female companionship, surely? Just look at him.”  
Asta smiled cheekily.  
“Oh, so you have noticed? I thought I saw a glint in your eye earlier today.”  
Lena made a loud pffft noise but no further comment. Asta giggled and continued, her face more sombre.  
“Seriously though, the women he comes into contact with are largely royalty or from highly influential families in this realm or others with which Odin wishes to seek alliances. I have yet to encounter a single one who had an ounce of feeling for him or conversely. Thor has the right as heir to choose his own wife within certain limitations but Loki is under pressure to accept a wife that Odin deems acceptable and useful. I honestly cannot understand how he still remains unattached after all this time with all the pressure that his father brings to bear.”  
“I don’t understand how he has never fallen in love. He’s been around a hell of a long time I gather,” Lena mused.  
“I never said he has not fallen in love, just that I have never witnessed it. There was one time that I know of, a long time before I met him. But that is his story to tell and not mine,” Asta replied firmly.  
Lena wondered if it was the same woman that Odin had so contemptuously alluded to in the throne room, a Midgardian woman apparently.

 

“Okay, fair enough. I respect your discretion.” Lena responded. “Thank you for being so honest with me. It makes for a refreshing change around here.”  
“I am more than happy to help and I am here for you anytime.”  
“Same here. Speaking of which,” Lena replied, “you’re in your nightgown. Loki obviously got you out of bed earlier. Why don’t you hit the sack? I’ll be okay.”  
“But Prince Loki said….”  
“Don’t worry about what he said. I’ve heard what you had to say and I’ve decided to give him the benefit of the doubt... this time.”  
Asta regarded her a little dubiously.  
“Are you sure? You do know that he needs skin on skin contact to use his Sirdir to heal you? Are you sure you can handle that so soon after?....”  
“No,” Lena answered honestly, with a little sardonic smile.  
“If it all becomes too much, if you get scared, just tell him to stop and he will. Please believe that he will,” Asta pleaded.  
“While I don’t entirely believe in him…yet… I do trust you. I know you wouldn’t put me in a position that’s likely to compromise me. I’ll tell him to stop if it’s freaking me out, don’t worry,” Lena replied.

 

“Okay. In that case I will go. Just one more thing. I know it is hard and much of it is deserved but please try not to be so angry with Prince Loki all of the time. He is trying to make amends. I can see how it hurts him and what hurts him hurts me.”  
Lena didn’t quite know what to do with that piece of information. A stab of remorse assailed her as she considered how unrelentingly hard she had been on Loki. At the same time she couldn’t just pretend that everything was right between them.  
Damn it just when she thought she had reached some sort of clarity in her hatred for him all these other confusing emotions and inconvenient facts surface to cloud her judgement. She should be resentful of Asta for her unwavering support of Loki given that she was all too aware of what an incredible arsehole he could be and had been to her. But given the role he played in Asta’s survival from the horrific nightmare that was the destruction of her family and the assault that had nearly killed her, Lena really couldn’t hold it against her.  
“I’ll try. That’s all I can promise right now,” Lena replied eventually. “Thanks for being here Asta and for trusting me enough to tell me your story. I know that can’t have been easy. Go get some sleep and I’ll see you in the morning.”  
“Good night Lena, take care,” Asta replied as she leaned in for a last hug and quietly left the room closing the door behind her.  
Lena sighed loudly and collapsed back onto the bed, her head hitting her fluffy pillow with a soft thud, praying that she hadn’t just made a terrible judgement call by giving the benefit of the doubt to the man who had until this point brought nothing but confusion and turmoil to her life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up we have some Loki and Lena time


End file.
